


University of the Extraordinary and Gifted.

by dracko



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-16 06:12:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 46,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2258871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracko/pseuds/dracko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mutants. That was what the movies call them.  Gifted was what they truly were.  Cursed was what some of them felt.  It took Adam a year to accept that he was different, and heal from his tragic past.  He was enrolled in the University for the Extraordinary and Gifted, and as a Sophomore was given a roommate and it was his responsibility to mentor the student, Tommy.  Adam would get through that rough exterior, but not without risking his heart and possibly his life. </p>
<p>X-Men inspired story of two boys learning acceptance and love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A big thanks to casey270 for editing.
> 
> The names of the origional characters are inspired by the abilities they have.

“Can I have your name please?” The gentleman behind the counter asked, looking up from his computer with a small, tired smile.

“Lambert, first name Adam.” Adam stood at the registrar window watching the slightly plump, graying middle-aged man type away at his computer. The man would stop every few moments to pull something off the printer and then begin typing again. After several minutes, the man sat a stack of papers and folders down in front of Adam.

“Here is your schedule for the semester, along with a map of the campus. The green folder contains your student papers. You will need to fill these out and return them to admissions by the end of the week. The yellow folder contains scholarship information. The red one paperwork and tutor information you will need to complete and take with you the first day of classes. Don't forget them. Your professors will need them to build a curriculum specific to your gift. Lastly, the blue folder contains all the information about the extra curricular activities offered on campus. “Any questions?” The gentleman forced out another half smile.

“No. Thank you,” Adam said. He gathered the folders in his arms, turned, and walked outside.  
\- - - - - - - - - - 

Adam squinted as the bright sun hit his eyes. He didn't understand why he had to listen to the same thing every semester. This was his third semester at the University for the Extraordinarily Gifted, yet every semester he had to sit through the same student orientation, listening to the same speech from the permanently grumpy clerks who worked in registration. He was polite, however, and listened with a smile every time. He sighed as his eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight and began to walk across the lawn in the direction of his dorm.

The University for the Extraordinary and Gifted, or the UEG as the students call it, was a small campus, and Adam liked that everything was within walking distance from everything else. As he walked, he passed many of the academic buildings, all of which, were centered around the student court. The student court was a large grassy area stocked full of benches and tables, as well as a large Victorian sculpted fountain in the center. The court was vacant today. Only a few students occupied the area. Classes didn't start for three days. Most of the student body wouldn't show up until Sunday, spending as much time as possible with their families. Adam's family had perished in a fire not long ago, so he came to campus early to settle in. He kept walking, nodding and saying hello to the students he passed. Once past the academic portion of the campus, he entered what was affectionately known as the Square. The Square was where the action happened when classes were not in session. It had restaurants, bars, and places to shop. It even had a bowling alley. The founders of UEG built the campus as its own little functioning city, so once the students were on campus, there was little need for them to leave throughout the semester.

Adam reached his dorm at the farthest end of the campus. He climbed the steps and went inside. His room was on the third floor. He normally would take the stairs, but with his arms full of papers and folders, he opted for the elevator. As the elevator door opened, Adam turned right and headed for his room. It was the same room he had inhabited for the past two semesters. He'd roomed with an upperclassman named Aleron, who'd graduated last year.

All the students at UEG were paired with an upperclassman mentor after their first semester. The first semester was when the students were introduced to their new life- their “gifted” life. Most new students were only recently aware of their gifts when they entered UEG. They were nervous and scared, unable to control their gifts, therefore no longer able to attend a normal university. The semester focuses on teaching the students to control and adjusting to being different. All the first semester students were assigned to the frosh dorm, the idea being the adjustments would be easier if students were around others going through the same transition.

Starting second semester, the students were paired with their mentors. The students were paired based on interests, classes, and personalities. They would have to live with each other for as long as two and a half years, so the faculty did their best to make sure everyone meshed well. Adam was paired with Aleron based on their similar student profiles. Adam was interested in the performing arts, as was Aleron. Adam was a singer, while Aleron was interested in drama. Adam was actually still undecided as to his major, but chose Liberal Arts because it fit best with his desire to pursue music. Adam and Aleron also had similar personalities and style. They both shared a love for clothes and shoes, personal expression, and both liked to line their eyes with smokey shadows. Upon meeting Aleron, Adam had quickly became aware of another thing they had in common: they were both gay.

They had hit it off immediately, almost inseparable from the start. Aleron was everything a mentor was supposed to be- a friend, confidant, a tutor, a voice of guidance, and reassurance. It didn't take long for the two young men to become more. The attraction was immediate, but Adam was still unsure of his ability to control his gift, and after the death of his family, he was afraid to get close. Aleron had been glorious and patient, literally taking Adam under his wing the first time Adam lost control and almost burnt down the dorm.

Their romance was short lived. They quickly realized they were better friends than lovers, but Adam was grateful for the short romantic time they spent together. During their brief affair, Adam found his confidence and when he had learned that his gift didn't have to be tragic. It could be and was beautiful. Adam still spoke to Aleron occasionally, but since graduation, Aleron had become an internet sensation and didn't have much time to spend with his friend.

Adam sighed again as he thought of his friend, and hoped when his time came to be a mentor, he would be able to fill Aleron's shoes. Adam unlocked the door and entered his room. It looked familiar but different. His side of the room was the same. Same black sheets on the bed, same small wooden desk by the window, same Velvet Goldmine movie poster on the wall (Aleron had always teased his about his love for the movie). He turned his head to Aleron's side of the room, and it was bare. Not a stitch of anything that proved Aleron had ever been there, just a naked mattress and empty drawers awaiting the next occupant.

Adam threw his pile of folders on the desk and flopped down on his bed. Its was still morning, and he was bored already. He wasn't in the mood to socialize, so he grabbed his iPod from his pocket and buried his head into his pillow. He could fill his paperwork out later. He put in his ear buds and flipped through a few songs. When he found the one he wanted, he smiled, closed his eyes and began to hum along.  
\- - - - - - -  
Adam woke up to the pang of hunger. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he had a tendency to do so whenever he was bored. He looked at his phone. It was almost 4:00 in the afternoon. No wonder he was hungry. The dorm cafeteria didn't open until tomorrow. He ran a hand through his raven dyed hair and put on his shoes he had somehow managed to kick off in his sleep. He locked the door and headed for the Square. 

The Square had every type of restaurant imaginable. If you craved it, you could find it. Adam chose a restaurant that served Islander dishes called the Tiki Hut. He ordered a rather plain salad and hot tea. He chose a table along the window and began to inhale the salad. He really was hungry. He was looking down, fiddling with his phone, when he heard a squeal come from the direction of the door. He looked up and smiled from ear to ear when he recognized the familiar face.

“Ashni, baby! Welcome back.” Adam stood as he spoke. He was barely out of the chair as Ashni reached him practically jumping into his arms.

“Adam! How are you? I was just telling my momma how much I was looking forward to seeing you again.” Ashni said, kissing Adam on the cheek and then nuzzling into his chest.

Adam had met Ashni last semester while he was a student assistant for the first semester Music Appreciation class. He'd talked her down from the ledge, so to speak, one afternoon when she'd sneezed and accidentally fried the circuit breakers in the music building. She'd run from the room, horrified and in tears. Adam had followed her out, letting her cry on his shoulder as he filled her with encouragement.

He looked at her now, and she looked so different. She looked grown up. Her long red hair now held streaks of black and blonde, and her petite frame was slimmer, more womanly. Ashni had only been seventeen when her gift emerged, much younger than most when their gifts were discovered. Adam thought of her like a little sister, and seeing her now looking grown up, he started to feel the part of the overprotective big brother. “I'm so happy to see you, sweetheart! Look at you. The streaks? I love it!”

“Thanks. I wanted a change for this year. I'm not the little woman on campus anymore, ya know.” she said with a wink.

“You've definitely changed,” Adam said, raising an eyebrow while he twirled her around. “So, have you met your mentor yet?”

“No, she's not coming until tomorrow. I've talked to her, though. Her name is Rin. She's really nice and so crazy. I looked at her Facebook, and she seems fun. I think we'll be a good match. You'll never guess what her gift is. It's so awesome.” Ashni could barely contain her excitement. 

“Hmm. There are so many different gifts to choose from. Give me a hint?”

“She's the exact opposite of you.”

It only took seconds for Adam to guess Rin's gift. “She's an ice queen.”

“YES! That's so much more interesting than mine.”

Adam snickered at Ashni's enthusiastic opinion of Rin. “Sweetie, you knocked out the power to the entire performing Arts building for a week with only a sneeze. When you gain full control of your gift, you're going to be amazing.”

“I'm already amazing.”

“Yes, yes you are,” Adam said. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “Come on, let's get out of here. We have a lot to catch up on.” Adam paid his bill and led Ashni out into the Square.

“Where to?” she asked.

“Lets take a walk. There's still a while before the sun goes down.”

“Okay,” she said. She reached over and laced her fingers with Adam's.

They walked all over campus. They talked mostly about Ashni, and what she had done over the summer. She told Adam that it had been mostly uneventful. She spent most of it with her parents at home. She had gotten a summer job at a local clothing store. The sold retro punk apparel, which explained her new look. She'd met a boy while working there. She'd really liked him and they'd dated for a few weeks. When Adam asked why they'd only lasted a few weeks, Ashni explained that she hadn't wanted the relationship to start with a lie, so she'd decided to tell him she was different than the average girl. When she'd told him, he'd laughed and hadn't believed her. She'd shown him by hot-wiring a car from twenty feet away. Needless to say he'd freaked out and quickly ended the relationship. Adam told her all about Aleron and his internet fame. He told Allison that after graduation, Aleron had moved to LA to pursue a TV career. He had difficulty finding a job. All the TV stations wanted experience. Aleron had taken it upon himself to get that experience and at the same time put his face out there. He'd found a TV station that was holding an online contest to find the next face of tabloid gossip. Aleron had made a video for the contest and won. As the winner, he'd gotten to tape one gossip webisode for the 6:00 news. In the middle of discussing which celebrities were rumored to be more “extraordinary” than others, Aleron had decided to show that he too was “extraordinary.” Right there on the 6:00 news, all of LA had seen him spread his wings publicly for the first time. The ratings had been so high, the station had offered him a two year contract to film three webisodes a week.

“Wow, I never had any doubt he'd be successful. I only got to meet him a few times, but he was one of those birds that couldn't be caged,” Ashni said with a giggle.

“Nice choice of words, babe,” Adam said, pulling her into a sideways hug. The sun was setting, and they were standing in front of Ashni's dorm. “It was nice to see you, babe. We'll hang out some after classes start.”

“Definitely,” Ashni said. She kissed Adam on the cheek and went up the stairs. Adam waited until she was inside before he turned and began his walk back to his dorm.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Adam was up early. Too early. His head was still fuzzy with sleep, even after a thirty minute shower and hours worth of paperwork. The first day of classes were always the same; syllabi, get to know you, make everyone uncomfortable and bored, all at the same time. He just wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep a few more hours.

 

Unfortunately, Adam was awake for the day. His schedule for the day was Chemistry 201, Music History 154, an hour break for lunch, and then English 212 (a writing requirement he was dreading immensely). To finish the day, he had a two hour student internship with the Freshman Abilities class. He was actually looking forward to the internship. He wasn't scheduled to become a mentor until next semester, so it would give him a chance to meet the incoming class, and possibly his future roommate.

 

For the most part, Adam hated his schedule. With the exception of the internship, this semester was entirely academic. Not an uncommon occurrence, as UEG was an accredited college. However, it made for boring days.

 

Adam often wondered what it would be like if the world in general took up prejudice with those that were gifted as he himself was. So far, the world as a whole was more fascinated than anything else, but decided it best to build separate educational institutions to keep accidents at bay, and mainstream acceptance in check. Scientists were quick to discover the gifted had a genetic anomaly, therefore explained it to be along the same lines as a birth defect. Adam couldn't be sure, but he believed this was the only reason the general population was so accepting of something so unknown and different. That, and the religious leaders of the world didn't say anything about being a genetic freak.

 

With an hour before Chemistry was to begin, Adam gathered his stuff and headed for the Square. Unlike his first day back, today the square was bustling with activity. Freshman with their maps out and furrowed brows, couples sitting on the lawn together, professors walking at warp speed with briefcases in hand were all the norm for a day like today. It made Adam smile. All he needed for his day was a cup of coffee, and he'd be good as gold.

 

The coffee shop was packed as it was every morning of the semester. Students, professors, even janitors all lined up for their morning fix. It never took very long to be served. Last semester, the owner got smart and hired a telekinetic. Adam had seen a few student's with the same gift of mind control, but no one held a candle to Eva. Eva was a retired professor of Mathematics, but just couldn't leave the university behind after so many years of service. She'd once told Adam that the coffee shop was the best job she had ever held. Teaching math, she never got to use her abilities to the full extent, but here she was free to use it whenever needed.

 

Adam liked Eva and always was fascinated watching her work. Her telekinetic ability only worked on non-living matter, so the coffee house was a perfect fit. He grabbed his coffee from Eva, thanked her with a smile, and began the trek to Chemistry.

 

Adam hated Chemistry. Hated it. However, it was a requirement he would have to suffer through. He'd heard interesting things about the professor. His interest was peaked. Mr. Damel was a full telekinetic, meaning he could move all matter, living or not. He had yet to see someone who could manipulate living matter other than plant life, so Adam hoped Mr. Damel would demonstrate his ability by picking up a student with his mind. That would make the entire class worth it.

 

To say Adam was a loner would be a lie. He was a social butterfly at heart, but since the death of his family, he'd become a sort of recluse. He had a very small group of close friends on campus. He was polite and social where needed, but preferred to be by himself.

 

He still held heavy guilt for the part he played in his family's death. He'd decided to skip a few years before starting college, a decision that his parents hadn't approved. They'd fought constantly about it, but Adam had been adamant about needing time to figure things out before he committed to something so important. They'd eventually given in, and life was normal until his twenty-first birthday. He'd gone out partying and stumbled in drunk at 3:00 AM. His dad had still been awake and pissed. Adam's grandparents had flown in from another state to see him, and he'd forgotten. Instead he'd spent the day getting shitfaced out of his mind.

 

His father had screamed at Adam for being irresponsible once again, not to mention breaking his grandparent's hearts. The fight had escalated into the college debate again, which had made Adam angry. He'd felt hot during the entire argument, but just figured it was the large amount of alcohol in his veins. He'd reached the tipping point. Adam's father had threatened to kick him out on his ass. Adam's rage had hit the breaking point' and his gift had become active. Without any control, it had taken over. Adam's entire body had burst into flames while simultaneously shooting fireballs in every direction.

 

Adam had seen the horror in his father's eyes right as he'd been engulfed by a fireball. Panicked, remembering his sleeping mother and brother upstairs, Adam had flown up the staircase to warn them. He hadn't noticed that everything he'd touched he'd lit ablaze. By the time he'd reached his mother and brother, he was no longer in a rage and had smoldered back to himself, but it was too late. There was no way out. Not realizing he could no longer die by fire, he'd huddled around his remaining family and waited to die.

 

He'd woken up sometime later, wrapped around the charred bodies of his mother and brother. He'd led out of the house by firemen and asked a barrage of questions. Since the mutated gene had already been discovered, there had been no investigation or charges filed. Adam had been sent to a halfway house for the gifted until the new semester of UEG had begun.

 

But he'd never forget, and until he finished his time at UEG and gained full control, he would never and could never allow himself the opportunity to hurt another person. So he just stayed at a safe distance...with the exception of Aleron, Ashni, and a few others.

 

Adam was pulled from his depressing memory by a hard crash. He fell on his ass, dropping his coffee, and papers flew in the breeze. He looked up to see he'd run right smack into another student. Adam didn't recognized the guy; he was dressed in all black, hood up over his head, with only a small tuft of blond hair peaking out at the side.

 

Remembering his manners, Adam scurried to his feet. “I'm so sorry! Here let me help...”

 

“Keep walking and watch where you're going next time, asshole,” the blond growled as he bent at the waist to collect his fallen papers. He gathered them haphazardly, shouldered past Adam with a grunt, leaving Adam's jaw literally gaping open.

 

“What the fuck was that about?” Adam said aloud to no one.

 

He turned and watched the black encased figure walk away, noticing the anger even in his stride. First day and already eventful. He looked down at his broken coffee cup.

 

“Well, at least there's time to get another. Looks like I'm gonna need it.” Adam turned and headed back toward the coffee shop, hoping the guy in black was a transfer and not a freshman, because he did NOT want to run into that one again.

 

Adam arrived at his Chemistry class with about ten minutes to spare. He cased the room, saying hello to the wondering eyes as he spotted an empty table at the back of the room. He took a seat, unloaded his belongings onto the table, and sipped his coffee while waiting for class to begin.

 

The class wasn't large. Ten tables, so twenty students, tops, would be there with him. It was considered a mid to beginner level class, so most of the students he recognized as sophomores and a few juniors. The rest were probably seniors that missed a credit and needed it to graduate. Adam didn't really care. Class was about to start, and he had a table to himself. No lab partner...Adam had no problem with that.

 

At exactly 8:00 AM, Mr. Damel loudly cleared his throat to begin class.

 

“Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Chemistry 201.”

 

The class managed a mumbled “good morning” in response.

 

“I am Mr. Damel, and for the next semester, I will be testing your intellect to its limits. Today, however, we'll take it easy and just get to know each other, go over the ground rules. Sound fair enough?”

 

The class nodded in unison. Adam hated the get to know you part. It brought up too many still cooling bad memories. He understood it though. Everyone at the college had a unique story or circumstance. Some tragic, like his own; some happy or silly even, but they all had common ground to bond over. Adam had just learned to script his to leave out the gruesome details.

 

Mr. Damel leaned against the teacher's podium with a toothy grin. “Let's start with me, of course. Again, I am Mr. Damel. I teach Chem 201, 211, and 404, as well as Intro to Abilities for the Freshman class. “ Intro to Abilities- that was Adam's internship. It looked like Adam and Mr. Damel were going to be spending a lot of time together. “Other than teaching, I have a wife and a dog. I am also a full telekinetic, which means I literally swept my wife off her feet.” At that, Mr. Damel let out a small chuckle and appeared to shrink. Only he wasn't shrinking. He had picked up every table in the room with his mind, and Adam was currently floating about two feet off the ground. The class gasped in response, which only made Mr. Damel chuckle louder. “Well more like picked her off her feet, but still.”

 

Adam was impressed. Mr. Damel was good, controlled. He lifted the entire class without so much as a bump or tilted table. Adam could learn a lot from this guy. He could tell already.

 

Introductions were well underway, Adam trying his damnedest to be invisible and be the last or possibly missed altogether. So far he shared the class with two other telekinetics, an ice queen (if memory served him correctly it was Ashni's mentor), a water manipulator, a mind reader (yuck), a metal bender, a student who was a shape shifter, a student with wings (like Aleron), and a guy with purple skin. Adam wondered what else was up that sleeve other than just looking different.

 

The shape shifter was in the middle of her introduction when the classroom door swung open violently. To Adam's dismay, the rude guy from early in the morning swept across the room like an angry tornado. He took the seat closest to the door and ducked his head as if it would help him disappear. Mr. Damel smiled his now already familiar bright smile and spoke to the mystery boy.

 

“Mr. Ratliff, so glad you could join us. We were just in the middle of introductions. Renata, if you don't mind holding off on your introduction for just a moment, let's have Tommy Joe introduce himself, since he made such an entrance.”

 

“No problem Mr. D,” Renata said and sat back down.

 

“Thank you, Renata. Tommy Joe Ratliff, meet class 201. Please tell us about yourself?”

 

Without lifting his head, Tommy Joe said with as much anger and snark as Adam experienced that morning, “You have my file. Read it yourself.”

 

Not breaking his smile, Mr. Damel took Tommy's attitude in stride. “Okay, a shy one. Let me take a look.” Mr. Damel rummaged through his files until he reached the file he was looking for. “Yes, Tommy Joe Ratliff...interesting. A freshman. Says you're 19 and somewhat of a genius. You transferred here when your ability came in a little younger than usual. Your part of my abilities class for...”

 

“Don't.” Tommy said firmly.

 

“Don't what, son?” Mr. Damel questioned.

 

“Don't say anything. Pick someone else.”

 

“Okay. I understand. Not comfortable with your newfound gift. Let me look it over so I know, then we'll move on,” Mr. Damel said, as cheery as ever, even when dealing with a rude asshole.

 

Adam watched Mr. Damel as he read Tommy's file. For a split second, his eyes went wide, and he glanced at Tommy with a combination of fear and fascination. It was gone in a flash, back to his normal composure. If he would have blinked, Adam would have missed it, but the fear in Mr. Damel's eyes was clear as day. It definitely piqued Adam's interest.

 

Mr. Damel quickly turned his attention back to Renata and motioned for her to continue. Adam only partially paid attention, picking up that Renata was proud to be different, and the purple guy also had super human strength. Mostly Adam just stared at Tommy. What was his story? That kind of hate and anger doesn't come from nowhere. It almost made Adam want to give him the benefit of the doubt for the coffee incident. Almost.

 

Tommy sat in silence, never taking off his hoodie or the gloves that encased his hands. Was he more visually differential from the purple guy, (was his name Eron? Emery?), was he disfigured by an accident? Adam didn't know. All he knew was there was a hell of a lot of rage in such a tiny package.

 

Drawn from his thoughts by a ringing bell, Adam listened to Mr. Damel as he announced they would finish introductions tomorrow and to read chapter one of the textbook.

 

He'd dodged a bullet on the intro, but Adam knew he wasn't off the hook. Too bad. Adam gathered his belongings as he headed for the door. He saw Tommy momentarily slip off the hoodie to mess with his hair.

 

Adam didn't expect the breath to leave his lungs, or his feet to plant solidly in place. Tommy was beautiful. There hadn't been a flaw on his perfect face. Adam felt a twitch in his groin as he took in Tommy's elven face. “My type,” Adam thought to himself, but quickly remembered what an asshole Tommy had been. Any instant attraction that occurred, disappeared as Tommy made eye contact with a starirng Adam.

 

“Take a fucking picture,” Tommy rudely grunted and no less than ran from the room.

 

Adam sighed and walked toward the door. The cute ones were always straight or had way too much baggage.

 

“Adam, can I talk to you for a moment?” Mr. Damel asked.

 

“Sure.” Adam shrugged in response. He went and sat in a vacated seat near the podium.

 

Mr. Damel smiled sympathetically. That couldnt be good.

 

“ I noticed you're one of the interns for my abilities class.”

 

“Yes, sir. I am.”

 

“I just wanted to give you a head's up, since I'm sure no one has informed you yet, but you've been assigned a mentor.”

 

Adam's brow crinkled. “Really? I'm still a semester away from being qualified.”

 

“True, but we have received a new student who will be requiring one-on-one mentoring straight away.” Mr. Damel shifted uncomfortably, like he was getting ready to reveal a bombshell. “We have a freshman with an ability we've never seen before. It can't be controlled. It's just there, and he's too advanced to work well with the other freshman.”

 

“Okay, so I have a roommate. Is he in your abilities class?”

 

“Yes, but here's the thing. It is for the safety of the rest of the students that he not be a part of the group, so I am assigning you as a personal tutor, as well, for abilities.”

 

Adam began to feel alarmed. “What does this kid have, that you feel the need to isolate him?”

 

“I don't want to isolate him, but until we know he's not a danger, it has to be this way.”

 

“Mr. Damel, what's his gift?”  
  


Mr. Damel sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “It's complicated. I don't even know how to explain it, other than to say his ability is physical, not mental, and it's deadly.”

 

“Deadly? How so?”

 

Adam was getting nervous. He really didn't like the idea of being put in danger.

 

“He can kill with touch.”

 

“What?”

 

“I won't get into his back story. That's for him to tell you when he's ready, but his skin is toxic. We've never seen it before and don't know how to work with it through normal training activities.”

 

Adam started to think. Black head to toe, gloves, hoodie in 80 degree weather. Oh, God, no. It couldn't be. “It's Tommy isn't it?”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

Adam rubbed the bridge of his nose. There's no way he would be able to spend the next two and a half years living under the same roof with such an asshole, and a deadly one at that.

 

“And how do I protect myself against him?”

 

“Simple. Don't let him touch you skin-to-skin.”

 

Adam sighed. “I don't think that will be a problem. We've met, and let's just say we didn't become best buds.”

 

“I expect him to be a handful. I trust you to break him.”

 

“And how do I do that exactly?”

 

The smile returned to Mr. Damel's face. “Adam. You're the best for the job. You've known tragedy firsthand and survived it. You CAN get through to him, in time.”

 

“But, why me?”

 

“Because your mentor profiles match. He's a music major _and_ a genius, so you can help each other out,” Mr. Damel gave a wry smile.

 

Adam sighed. As much as he hated the idea of being a one-on-one everything for Tommy, at least he was nice on the eyes. AGH! What was he thinking? The little prick was probably a homophobe on top of it. “When does he move in?”

 

“He'll be there by this afternoon.”

 

“Great.”

 

“Hey. Be nice to him, please. He's had it rough. No adjustment period like everybody else.”

 

“Don't worry. I'm always nice.” With that, Adam left the room to finish his day, before everything changed, and his world turned upside down.

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Adam was standing outside his dorm, waiting for Tommy and the moving truck to show up with Tommy's things. The little information Adam was given ,told him that Tommy had been in the Freshman house only two days. Now he was moving in with Adam for two and a half years.

 

Adam sighed as he thought about what Mr. Damel had told him. Tommy's skin was toxic. The curiosity in Adam wondered how exactly that ability worked. Was it slow, like some poisonous snakes, or as quick as instant death. Adam hoped he never had to find out.

 

He would do his best to mentor Tommy. He would tell him about campus life, help him with Abilities class, even lend an ear if Tommy ever decided to open up. Adam didn't see that happening, but he would do it, if need be.

 

The truck pulled up. A member of the maintenance team that worked on campus was driving. Tommy was in the passenger seat. Adam put on his brightest smile and approached the passenger door. Tommy opened the door, climbed out, and gave Adam the most hateful look he'd ever seen.

 

Adam tried to not let it faze him. He widened his smile and reached a hand out for greeting, noting that Tommy was wearing his protective black gloves. “Hi. I'm Adam. I'm your mentor.

 

“Oh, great. You,” Tommy said in almost a growl.

 

“Yeah, me. I'm in your Chemistry class and your personal tutor for Abilities.”

 

“Fan-fucking-tastic.”

 

This kid was trying Adam's nerves already, and it'd only been three minutes. Two and a half years was going to be torture.

 

Keeping the smile on his face to mask his irritation, Adam cheerfully offered to help Tommy with his things. Tommy in turn told Adam to fuck off and proceeded to collect his things on his own. Adam took the cue, and resolving to not push the young man, he settled on opening the door and pushing the elevator buttons.

 

They didn't speak the entire forty-five minutes it took for Tommy to bring his thing up to their room. He remained thankless as Adam shut the door behind them.

 

“This side is yours. Decorate it anyway you want. We have to share a bathroom. I already cleaned out a drawer in the vanity for you.”

 

Without even looking at Adam, Tommy opened a box and began putting things away. He made his bed, all his sheets and blankets black and red. Adam thought to himself how good those sheets would look against the contrast of Tommy's pail skin.

 

As quickly as the thought crept its way into Adam's head, he dismissed it. There was no doubt that Tommy was beautiful. With his blond hair, porcelain skin, and whiskey colored eyes, Adam was sure both men and women alike were drawn to Tommy's looks. Adam definitely was, but Tommy's attitude put a damper on everything, and his appearance didn't make up for it.

 

Still, Adam was supposed to “break” Tommy. How the hell was he going to do it? He had no idea. He was aware that it wouldn't happen if he let Tommy piss and moan without any communication.

 

Adam took a deep breath, preparing himself for the uphill battle. “So, Mr. Damel said you were nineteen. That's cool. I'm twenty-three.”

 

“Good for you.”

 

Adam continued on. “He also said you were a genius. That's pretty cool, too.” Tommy ignored Adam and continued emptying boxes. When he moved the last box out of the way, Adam noticed a guitar case propped against the wall. There was the in he needed.

 

“You play guitar? I'm a singer. How long have you played?”

 

“Long enough.”

 

“Maybe you can play with me sometime.”

 

As soon as it came out of Adam's mouth, he wished he could take it back. The look on Tommy's face was a mix of disgust and “what the fuck?”

 

“The guitar...Play while I sing.” _How mortifying._ _Play with me_. _That was nice_. _Make it sound like a come on._ With Tommy's poor attitude, Adam wouldn't be surprised if Tommy reported him for sexual harassment.

 

“God, I'm so sorry. That came out all wrong,” Adam apologized.

 

Tommy just rolled his eyes and kept the unhappy look on his face. After a moment, Tommy sighed and stopped unpacking. “Look, we are _not_ going to be friends. You may as well save your breath and stop trying.”

 

This made Adam angry for some reason. He'd not meshed with people before. He didn't understand why Tommy's dismissal irritated him so much. He told himself it was because he wanted to be a good mentor, but his gut was telling him he was wounded on a more primitive level.

 

Shaking off the uneasiness in his gut, Adam looked at Tommy with conviction in his stance. No was he going to let this little pain in the ass see how he was affecting him. “Fine. I'll stop, but get it in your head that at some point we have to have a civil conversation. I am your mentor, which means you have to come to me with your questions. I'm also your personal tutor for Abilities. I don't know why you can't participate with the rest of the class, but you can't. Therefore, you will have to speak to me if you want to pass.”

 

Tommy chuckled to himself. A rude, self assured chuckle. “I'm a genius, remember? I'll pass.”

 

“It's an interpersonal class. You can't just read and memorized a book to pass a test. Your intelligence won't help you.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

No more interaction occurred. Tommy left to who knows where, and Adam started planning the rest of his week. Being a tutor was going to be a challenge, especially with Tommy. He needed to be as prepared as possible.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Tommy skipped the first two days of Intro to Abilities. He'd also barely been at the dorm, so Adam wasn't able to ask why he was skipping. Tommy was avoiding the dorm, only coming home to sleep. He didn't come home at all the night before. Adam was torn between reporting him or letting him fail.

 

No. Adam couldn't let him fail. His conscious wouldn't allow it. If Tommy was as dangerous as Mr. Damel said, he couldn't let the guy self-destruct. By his attitude and absence, Adam had a strong feeling that he would. Adam knew because he'd done it himself.

 

Adam killed his parents and little brother on accident on his twenty-first birthday. He was an adult, so he was given a card for a grief counselor and sent on his way. He spent the first few weeks in a stupor, unable to feel anything. It wasn't until the reading of the will that he broke down. His parents had left him a significant amount of money, enough for him to live without much stress for a good six months to a year, and a note. The note, written by his mother's hand, expressed how much his parents loved him, and they were sorry he was reading the letter, because it meant that they were dead. However, partway through the letter was a revelation that shook Adam's world. His father had been gifted. According to the letter, his father had the ability to control water. He'd discovered ti while on a date with Adam's mother. They'd gotten into a car accident. His father had hit a tree. Adam's mother had been trapped inside. Panicking and trying to free her, Adam's father had let out a desperate roar. As he did, the nearby pond had began to rise and flood until it had reached the car. It wasn't until the flames were doused that his father had realized the water had risen around him, encasing him in a wall. It hadn't touched him.

 

His mother went on to explain that because of his father being gifted, Adam had had a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene himself. However, Adam had stopped reading. He was focused on his dad controlling water. Adam was fire. He didn't just control fire, he burned ablaze without even a blister. His dad could have saved them, if only Adam hadn't caught him off guard with a fireball.

 

From that day until the moment he was contacted by UEG, he'd wanted to die himself. He'd tried to cut his wrists, but he'd melted the metal. He'd tried to hang himself, but he'd burned the rope to ash. The fire inside him had preserved him, and ultimately he'd been grateful.

 

So he understood that having a gift was overwhelming. Tommy's actions told Adam that something bad had happened. Even if Tommy hated him and was a pain in the ass, Adam didn't want him to suffer in silence as he'd done.

 

Adam decided to tell Mr. Damel that Tommy didn't come home and had been gone for most of the week. He approached the professor, and just before he opened his mouth, Tommy walked through the door.

 

Relief washed over Adam. At least Tommy was okay. Physically anyway.

 

Tommy talked privately with Mr. Damel for a moment before coming to stand next to Adam, silently. Adam noticed the exchange between the two had been civil. Not only civil, but intimate, as if Mr. Dumel were Tommy's confidante. If that were true, there was a greater chance Adam would get through to the boy.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Intro to Abilities went well. Tommy wasn't talkative, but he participated and wasn't a complete jerk. He'd looked down, depressed for the entire class period. It was as if he were going through the motions, but his mind was gone. Adam could have sworn at one point he saw a tear trickle down Tommy's face.

 

When class was over, Adam watched as Tommy gathered his things and exited the room. “What happened to you, Tommy?” Adam said to himself. Nothing that beautiful should ever look that broken.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Nine days passed with the same sense of underlying dread and despair.  Adam had no idea what had happened to Tommy in the hours he’d disappeared, but it was something that created a shell of a young man.  Tommy had completely curled in on himself, going through the motions of a normal day but never really being a part of it.

 

He hadn’t spoken the entire nine days, and he hadn’t been eating either.  Adam noticed the ashen color in Tommy’s normally porcelain face and the hollow darkened cheeks.  He looked and acted like a zombie.  

 

On the eighth day, Adam really began to worry. He’d gotten up in the middle of the night to take a piss and found a sobbing Tommy lying in the fetal position on the bathroom floor.  He tried to comfort Tommy, maybe finally get him to open up,but he was just told to fuck off and left more concerned than before.

 

So here Adam sat, nine days after Tommy disappeared, alone and in the dark, waiting on Tommy to get back from wherever he vanished to.  It was confession time.  Tommy was going to talk, whether he wanted to or not.

 

Minutes turned into hours as Adam waited.  Each passing second made Adam worry that much more.  He saw himself in that broken boy.  Agony and isolation were painted on his face right alongside the mask he wore to desperately hide it. Had Tommy’s parents disowned him when they found out what he could do?  A friend?  A lover?  Maybe he hurt someone.  The possibilities were endless, and Adam was determined to get inside, break the surface and help Tommy begin to heal.

 

At 3:00 a.m. the lock finally clicked.  Tommy crept into the room quietly, surely trying not to wake his roommate.  Adam watched as he took off his jacket and headed for the bathroom.  He hadn’t noticed Adam sitting on the edge of his bed in the shadow.  He shut the bathroom door, flipped on the light, and within seconds the sound of the shower began to hum through the door.

 

Adam waited.  He ran through every possible scenario he could think of as to how this intervention would play out.

 

One scenario showed Tommy telling Adam once again to fuck off.  Another featured Adam as the young man’s savior, Tommy breaking down in his arms and spilling his secrets to his supportive mentor.  

 

There were also darker, more instinctive scenarios.  One involved Adam’s lips on Tommy’s soft, pale neck caressing each cord and hollow with his tongue.  Another graphically ending with a heap of clothing on the floor, and sweaty bodies on those black and red sheets.  Adam knew  more than one reason why those two scenarios would be impossible.

 

No matter how much of an asshole as Tommy had been at the beginning, and how broken, closed off as he was now, Adam couldn’t deny that Tommy was the most beautiful and attractive man he’d ever seen.  If someone asked, he’d be the first to admit that Tommy’s face had been haunting his dreams.

 

Tommy emerged from the bathroom forty-five minutes later.  He hovered by the closet, opening a drawer and pulling out a few items. He was getting dressed.  Adam’s eyes followed him as he stopped at the desk and leaned over to look out the window. He was shirtless.  His skin was luminescent in the moonlight and perfectly smooth.  His wet hair danced with shimmering, reflective beads of water that dripped and slid down his slender shoulders.  Adam had never seen this much of Tommy’s skin before, only having seen his face and his hands.  Adam stared in wonder, multiple areas of his body constricting as he took in Tommy’s beauty.  He looked ethereal, like an alien born from a planet of beauty and sadness.

 

Adam sucked in a breath too loudly, and Tommy whipped his body toward the sound and flipped on the light.  “What the…”

 

“Sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

“You didn’t.”

 

“It’s 4:00 a.m.”

 

“So.”

 

“You have class at 7:00.”

 

“Thanks, Mom,”  Tommy said, his voice dripping that same jerkish sarcasm Adam was growing accustomed to.  It was actually nice to hear after nine days of silence.

 

“You wanna discuss it?”

 

“It?” Tommy questioned.

 

“Last night.  The bathroom.  Why were you so upset?”

 

“None of your fucking business.”

 

Adam jumped off the bed and approached Tommy cautiously.  “It is my business.”

 

“Yeah.  How exactly?”

 

“I’m your mentor.  And your friend, if you’d let me.”

 

“I don’t need any friends.”

 

“Everyone needs friends.”

 

“Well, I don’t!”  Tommy yelled, slamming his fist into the desk and storming off into the bathroom.  He slammed the door behind him.

 

Calmly, Adam padded across the room and placed his palm up to the bathroom door.  “Please, Tommy.  You’re obviously hurting.  Let me help you.”

 

“I don’t need help.”

 

“Yes, you do.  Let me help you.  Let me in.”

 

The bathroom door swung open, and the look on Tommy’s face was murderous.  He stomped over to his bed and began stripping his bed down to the sheets.  He was ignoring Adam, blocking out most of what was being said.  This pissed Adam off.  He didn’t enjoy talking to the back of someone’s head.  Adam began to cross the room to Tommy.  “Tommy, would you at least look at me.  Halfway there, he tripped over a shoe and began to fall forward.  As a natural impulse, he reached out to grab the closest thing to break his fall.

 

Tommy turned in horror as he felt fingers circle his wrist.  “Fuck!  Let go!  Let go!”  Tommy screamed as he began trying to pry Adam’s hand from his wrist.

 

As soon as Adam’s fingers circled Tommy’s skin, every muscle and tendon locked into place as if his hand were paralyzed.  He dropped to his knees and began to gasp for air.  It felt like a mixture of getting the wind knocked out of him and his throat closing off at the same time.  He tried to claw his fingers loose as he looked up at Tommy in pure, unfiltered fear.  Tommy himself looked panicked and was trying desperately to remove Adam’s hand from his skin. Adam could hear Tommy begging him to let go.

 

His skin was toxic.  Mr. Damel’s words running through his brain as he tried unsuccessfully to force air into his lungs.  He knew what that meant, first hand.  He was going to die if he didn’t unlock his fingers.

 

He fought and struggled as his vision began to fade at the edges.  He was fighting a losing battle, and he was helpless.  He thought of his parents.  Was this what his mother and brother felt as they were burned alive at his hand?  Adam thought of Ashni and her youthful innocence.  Would he never see her again?  Adam thought of Tommy, the broken boy frantically trying to free himself from another unwanted tragedy.  Adam accepted death if that was what would be, but Tommy didn’t deserve this on his conscience.

  
Adam sank to the floor, the last of his strength giving out as his body gave up.  His vision was blurry now, the black frame of darkness covering all but the center of his vision.  He saw Tommy’s tear streaked face through the darkness, begging Adam to stay with him.  He wanted to, but he had no fight left.  The last thing he heard as he succombed to the dark was Tommy’s desparate cries of “Not again.  Please, not again.”


	5. Chapter 5

 

“Please. Please be okay”

“I'm so sorry.”

“I'll make this right. I promise. You just gotta wake up.”

Adam had heard the voice in his head. A familiar voice, but through the dense black fog, he couldn't make out who it had belonged to. He hadn't been sure where he was, or how long he'd been there. Occasionally, he'd hear voices, but everything he had seen was black. Like a thick mist obstructing his vision, he could hear where the voice was coming from. However, he had been unable to see who it had belonged to.

He had tried to move his head in the direction of the voice, but his muscles wouldn't move. It had been painful, like someone had secured vice grips to his arms, chest, and legs. He couldn't breathe, but he hadn't felt like it mattered. He was conscious, at least mentally.

Why couldn't he move? And why did the vacant, black world he had been in feel like it was closing in on him?”

Beginning to panic, Adam had tried to break free. He had tried to thrash his arms and legs. He had tried to scream out into the void, cry for help, but nothing had worked. He had grown tired.

“How long has he been like this?”

“Too long.”

“Did you try CPR?”

“I...I can't.”

“Why not, son.”

“Because I'd have killed him. If I haven't already.”

Tommy. Adam had finally recognized the voice. He’d sounded hysterical. Had he hurt someone? Who? Adam had needed to open his eyes and help, but the darkness was winning.

Tommy, I'm here. I'm here, Adam thought as he drifted off into oblivion.

~ ~ ~ ~

“He's been down for too long.”

“You can't give up on him. Please.”

“There's nothing that we can do, son. I'm sorry. We just have to hope for the best.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“Please, Adam. You have to wake up. I can't go through this again. Please wake up. Please.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“There've been no changes. It's time to consider letting him go.”

“No, please.”

“Son, he's been unconscious for a week. He can't breathe on his own. It doesn't look promising.”

“Just a little longer. I’m begging you.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“We can't keep him like this. It's not fair. It's no life.”

“More time.”

“It's been a month, son. He's not waking up. It's time to let go.”

“Just one more week. Give it one more week, and I promise I'll let him go.”

“All right. One week.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Adam had heard the voices. Three of them. In and out of consciousness, he had heard them. The female with the sympathetic voice, Tommy, distraught and with a sadness that went bone deep, and Adam's as he'd begged the female to listen to Tommy and not give up.

At first, he hadn't known that he had been the one injured and on the verge of death. Adam had drifted in and out of the blackness, and only picked up on chunks of conversations. As he had come out from behind the darkness for longer periods of time, he had finally heard Tommy utter his name, begging Adam to wake up.

He's been trying ever since.

With each plea from Tommy's lips, Adam had fought to rise above the cloud of darkness and come back- come back to himself, his life, his friends, and the sad roommate he'd be leaving behind. For month's after his family's death, he'd wanted to die. He'd wanted to burn himself for what he'd done. It took what felt like a lifetime to accept what he had done and what he was. Now, even in his state of half consciousness, Adam recognized the same desperate tone in Tommy's voice. Through his muddled thoughts, he knew what Tommy had done, he knew why Tommy was so angry, so closed off. He had hurt someone he'd loved. It was the twisted irony of their existence.

Adam knew that he had touched Tommy. It took awhile to come back to him, but piece-by-piece, the night with Tommy came back to him. The worry, the confrontation, tripping and grabbing hold of Tommy's wrist, only to feel the breath being ripped from his lungs. Adam remembered it all. He had to wake up. He couldn't let the doctor take him off life support. He couldn't and wouldn't let Tommy live his life believing he'd killed Adam.

Adam had heard a door open. Footsteps had crossed the room, rhythmically pounding until they stopped next to Adam's bed. Adam had felt the warm heat of Tommy's hand, as he wrapped his gloved fingers around Adam's lifeless ones. Adam's mind cleared, all thoughts ceased as he listened to another plea from Tommy.

“Wake up, Adam. You have to wake up.”

I'm trying. Adam thought to himself as he listened to Tommy's voice.

“I didn't mean for this to happen. I tried to keep you away. But you were so damn persistent. So fucking persistent.”

He was right. Adam was persistent. Tommy was his to guide, and he'd failed. He was still failing by not waking up.

Adam felt a sob rip through Tommy's throat as he squeezed Adam's hand tighter. Adam's mind squirmed, wiggled as he tried to free himself from his internal prison.

Tommy cleared his throat, calming himself before he spoke again. “They're taking you off life support today. Five o'clock sharp. The doctor said there's nothing they can do. I've tried to stop them. I've tried so hard, even though I know how this ends.” Tommy choked back another strangled sob before he continued. “I don't want it to end this way. I want you to wake up. I need you to wake up.”

Adam was trying, had been trying so damn hard, but his eyelids wouldn't move. His brain used every ounce of strength to slit his lids, but nothing happened. He tried so hard that he was getting fatigued. He'd be unconscious again soon, mentally unconscious, and if he didn't figure out how to open his eyes before five, he'd never get the chance to open them again.

“Anyway,” Tommy began with a weak, feeble voice, “I figure if this is the last chance I have to explain everything, I better do it. It's what you wanted. I guess now more than ever, you deserve it.” Tommy adjusted himself so he was closer to the bed. He brought his free hand up and used a gloved finger to clear a strand of hair off of Adam's cheek. The gesture felt intimate, as if they'd been close friends, lovers before the tragedy happened.

“It was four months ago. I was in my bedroom with Erik. We'd been together since freshman year of high school. We were going to leave for college the week after it happened. We were celebrating. Up to that point we'd never, uh...You know. We had just come back from dinner. My parents weren't home. The moment seemed right. I kissed him softly at first, then deeper. We'd done it a thousand times. How was I supposed to know this time was different, that his whimpers were anything other than reactions to me? They were reactions to me.” Tommy's voice softened to a whisper. He sniffled and sucked in a breath. “He was unconscious, but breathing when the paramedics arrived. He crashed on the way to the hospital. It was then that I realized that it was me who had done it to him. I’d grabbed his hand right before he crashed.

Adam's heart was breaking. The poor shattered boy next to his bed needed him. He needed Adam, who had already lived through the nightmare of watching someone he loved die by his hand. He needed Adam to show him, teach him that life didn't die with his friend. He could still be happy. Tommy could be happy.

Tommy quietly sobbed over Adam's body. The thin sheet covering his body had shifted with Tommy's elbows pressing into the mattress. Adam felt Tommy's warm tears splash his bare shoulder and slowly slide down to the hollow of his throat. Adam needed desperately to wake up, if not for himself, for Tommy's well being.

“He didn't die. Not right away,” Tommy continued. “He had a heartbeat- weak, but there. He could breathe, but it was so shallow and slow that the hospital had to put him on oxygen. Days passed. Weeks passed with no change. Tests came back negative for everything. They couldn't find anything wrong with Erik. I was afraid to tell anyone what happened, but I knew I had to.”

Adam knew what Tommy as feeling all too well. He needed to wake up.

Tommy's body lightly trembled as he continued his confession. “I was told that I could no longer go to college where I had chosen. I had to go to a special school.” Tommy let out a small self-deprecating laugh. “As you know, I'm sort of a genius. I'd chosen a school based on that. Erik was just following along to be with me. So not only was my boyfriend in a coma that I was responsible for, but now I had to leave everything I'd planned behind.”

Wake up, Adam. God dammit! Wake up!

“ I chose UEG because it was close to Erik. The problem was that once his parents were told about me, I was forbidden to see him. I still went to the hospital everyday. I'd go in the middle of the night, after his parents had gone home. I wasn't allowed in his room, but I'd watch him through the window. He took a turn for the worse, and went downhill quickly. That's why I disappeared. I watched him die through the glass of his ICU room.” Tommy pulled the sheet up to cover Adam's shoulder, and to Adam's surprise rested his tear streaked cheek against Adam's shoulder. His fingers squeezed Adam's hand tighter as he whispered into Adam's ear. “That's why you can't die, Adam. You can't leave me. You may be the only person who can help me. I want someone to talk to. I want to feel something other than anger. I want a friend. Please come back.”

Tommy's painful begging penetrated Adam's brain and broke loose something he knew - something he could see, touch, and even taste. It felt like it was consuming every cell in his body, and re-firing neurons that had been lying dormant for the past month. Determination. He was determined to wake up. Tommy needed him, and he'd do whatever necessary to get Tommy to the place he needed to be to heal. If only his goddamn eyes would open.

Maybe he was doing it wrong. Adam was trying, so fucking hard he was trying. One eyelid was draining all the remaining energy he had. If he didn't do something soon to show Tommy he was there and conscious, he'd be dead. If he were dead, Tommy would have no one.

Was that a flutter? Yes, it was a flutter. Adam's mind raced. He needed to open his damn eyes. Come on, Adam. Come on! Open your eyes! He was pleading to himself. Tommy needed him. That beautiful, broken souled boy needed him, and Adam needed Tommy. He tried again.

Adam pulled all of his energy together. Instead of focusing on his uncooperative lids, he focused on Tommy. Tommy's blond hair, the hair he keeps hidden under a black hoodie - his pale, smooth skin that caught the moonlight with a luminescent hue. Adam thought about Tommy's big, brown, sad eyes. The eyes he wanted to see sparkle for a change. He thought about Tommy's pain. It was a pain Adam knew all too well, and it radiated off Tommy in waves. Tommy was consumed by darkness, pushing and pulling until he was buried with no way out, no way to escape.

Adam's eyes popped open. The dim lights in his hospital room burned his eyes. He blinked several times until his corneas were moist enough to see. He looked down to see the top of Tommy's head. He was still crying silently against Adam's shoulder. Look up, Tommy. Look up.

Time passed. Adam didn't know how much, but enough for Tommy to doze off. He needed the rest. That level of emotional baggage coming through all at once had to have been damn exhausting. More minutes passed before Adam too succumbed to sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~

“Adam?” Tommy asked with a skeptical tone. He sat up as straight as a nail, squeezing Adam's fingers in a death grip. “It's five o'clock. Wake up, please. The doctor will be here any minute.”

Adam heard Tommy's plea as his mind awoke from a fitful streak. His brain was filled with images of Tommy. Tommy as a boy, happy and running through a playground to the sound of his own laughter. He also saw a teenage Tommy, vibrant and carefree, loving as passionately as he hated. The last image Adam saw was the current Tommy, and the look in his eyes as Adam fell to the floor, unable to let go even though Tommy was killing him.

Adam's eyes opened. Once his eyes cleared, he gazed into a pair of shocked caramel eyes. It took all of Adam's energy to hold Tommy's stare.

The smile that spread across Tommy's face was all the reason Adam needed to fight his fatigue. He'd never seen Tommy smile, and God, was it the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

****  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

“Adam?  Oh, God!  Adam, you’re awake!”  Tommy shrieked through tears, as he stared into Adam’s eyes.  

Adam tried to speak, but quickly realized he had a breathing tube in place.  Instead, he used up some of his fleeting energy to lift his arm and rest if on Tommy’s shoulder.  It wasn’t much, but hopefully it came across to Tommy as a gesture of understanding and compassion.  He left it there while Tommy half sobbed, half laughed with relief.

Tommy lifted his hand and wiped at his crimson cheeks.  He sniffled in an attempt to compose himself.  “I should call the nurse.”

Adam nodded his head weakly in agreement.

Five minutes later, a nurse and Dr. Garrett were in the room.  The nurse, Karis, was taking Adam’s vitals, as Dr. Garrett spoke to Tommy.

“You’ve got a strong friend here, son.  The situation being what it was, this is nothing short of a miracle.”

“I know, Dr. Garrett.  Thank you for not giving up on him.”

“You’re the one who never gave up, Tommy.  I have no doubt you helped him pull through.”

“I doubt that,” Tommy said in a self loathing tone.

“You did.”  Tommy heard the raspy tone of Adam’s straining voice and turned to look at his mentor.  

The look on Tommy’s face was both pained and apologetic.  Adam hated seeing that look after the brightly lit smile he’d seen moments before.  Adam shifted and attempted to pull himself up into a sitting position.  With the help of Karis, he was able to do so.  Once situated, he motioned for Tommy to come closer.

Tommy approached Adam, being motioned to sit down.  Tommy sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, staring into Adam’s penetrating gaze. “I’m so sorry, Adam.”  Tommy hung his head after voicing his apology.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Tommy lifted his head and stared at Adam with bewilderment.  “I almost killed you!”

“But you didn’t.”

Getting up, Tommy crossed the room and stood by the window.  Dr. Garrett and Karis silently left the room, closing the door as they left to give the boys privacy.  Tommy fixed his eyes on something outside the window, speaking but without looking at Adam.  “I could have.  I’ve done it before.”

“I know,”  Adam answered.

This time, Tommy did look at Adam.  He paused for several moments before he spoke.  “You do?”

“Yes,”  Adam rasped.  “I heard every word you said to me.”

Tommy just stared. The shock he must have been feeling at Adam’s admission of hearing everything while he was unconscious was written all over Tommy’s face. “I...I…”  Tommy lost his words, continuing to stare at Adam for long, drawn out moments.  He never finished what he was going to say, instead saying, “You should rest your voice.  You’ve had a breathing tube in for five weeks.”

Smiling at Tommy’s concern, Adam motioned for Tommy to come back to the bed.  Instead of sitting on the edge of the bed, this time Tommy opted for the chair that had become his home for the past weeks.  When seated, Adam readjusted himself so he was in line for visual contact with Tommy.

“I’m okay.  Just a bit sleepy.”

“You should rest then.”

“Nope.  Been resting for five weeks.”  Adam chuckled to no one in particular.

“That’s not funny.”

Adam sighed.  Tommy was right.  It wasn’t funny, especially after the looks Adam had seen on Tommy’s face since opening his eyes.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.  Just glad to be part of the living again.”

Tommy grimaced at Adam’s second poor choice of wording.

“Anyway, Tommy,  I’m okay.  That’s what matters.”

“I guess,” Tommy whispered, letting to topic go.

They sat in comfortable silence for a long time.  Adam glancing back and forth between the window and Tommy, Tommy fiddling with a string on his hoody.  It was obvious that Tommy was at a loss for words.  Adam wouldn’t push him.  He himself was still weak, and as much as he didn’t want to sleep, he knew he at least needed to rest. Tommy now knew that Adam had heard his sad story and was not in the mindset to rehash the details just yet.

Another half hour, possibly longer, passed.  Adam had dozed off and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  He looked over at Tommy and noticed that the blond was asleep too.  Poor thing must be so exhausted after not only spending so much time watching over Erik before he died, but now watching over Adam.  One thing Adam was sure of, was that Tommy had spent all of his free time at Adam’s bedside.  He had to have been there almost continually, because each time Adam’s mind woke, Tommy had been there.  Had Tommy missed classes?  He was only a freshman.  He couldn’t afford to miss anything at this point.  Adam missing was okay.  He had his abilities established and enough credits, he would be able to take a semester off without it  affecting him too much.  Tommy needed that first semester to adjust.  

Tommy opened his eyes, almost as if he sensed that Adam had woken.  “Hey there.”

Adam smiled in response.

“I must have been tired.  Sorry.”

“You’ve been here the whole time.  Haven’t you?”

At that, Tommy looked sheepish.  “Uh, Yeah.  I couldn’t leave.  I just couldn’t.”

“You look even skinnier.  If that’s even possible.”

Tommy looked down at his ill fitting hoodie and just shrugged his shoulders.  

“You need to eat.  And what about class?  You’ll fail.”

Tommy shook his head back and forth.  “Mr. Damel gave me leave.  I will start back as soon as you’re released.  He’s been sending someone with class work and tests so I don’t fall behind.”

“He’s very accommodating.”

“I’m thankful for that.”

Adam leaned to the side and reached out to touch Tommy.  Tommy flinched for a moment when Adam’s hand came in contact with his shoulder, but he quickly relaxed.  After a moment, Tommy lifted his gloved hand to his shoulder and curved his hand around Adam’s fingers.  Adam was grateful for the gesture.  Maybe Tommy was finally ready to let him in.

“We have a lot to talk about, huh?”  Tommy asked quietly.  Adam knew it would be hard for the broken boy.  The fact that he was the first to broach the topic spoke volumes to Adam.

Flipping his hand over on Tommy’s shoulder, Adam gripped Tommy’s hand palm-to-palm.  “We do. But after you get some rest.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“When’s the last time you’ve slept in a bed?”

“Uh.  Five weeks ago,” Tommy said, almost sounding embarrassed.

Adam couldn’t help the feeling brewing inside him for this boy.  He squeezed Tommy’s hand again, before releasing it, and placing his own hand back in his lap. “Well that stops now.  Go home.  Take a long, hot shower.  Go sleep in your bed, and come back tomorrow.  I’m not going anywhere.  I promise.”

Tommy looked into Adam’s eyes for confirmation that his promise would be kept.  He must have seen what he was looking for, because he sighed heavily and agreed with Adam.  He got up from the chair, moved around the room gathering things he felt Adam may need in his absence.  A magazine, the TV remote, a fresh cup of ice water, everything the nurse could have gotten for him. Tommy unknowingly took care of Adam’s every need.

Almost every need.  Adam needed to understand Tommy.  He needed to know the boy from the inside out.  Adam already had a feeling that Tommy’s hard exterior held back something as beautiful as his delicate features.  Now that Tommy’s wall had cracked, Adam’s mission was to know the boy behind the layers of black.

~ ~ ~

Adam spent one more week in the hospital.  Dr. Garrett wanted to make sure there were no noticeable, lasting effects of whatever the toxin was that Adam absorbed from Tommy’s skin.  Tommy had gone home that night as Adam had asked, but was back before Adam had woken up the next morning.  Tommy stayed and took care of Adam.  He helped him change positions while Adam was still to weak to move on his own.  He would run down to the cafeteria and get Adam something to eat when he was hungry.  He walked the halls with Adam, once Adam became strong enough to get out of the bed.  He only left Adam when Adam forced him to, but was back before dawn each morning.

Adam was grateful, and a little bit admiring of Tommy’s need to take care of him.  Tommy had changed overnight from the person he was the day Adam had met him, to the person he seemed to be now.  Adam smiled at the fact that this Tommy was here with him now. He liked this Tommy.

“What are you smiling at?” Tommy asked as he cleared off Adam’s bed at the dorm.  Adam had received a shit load of get well cards and items during his stay at the hospital, and the items were now engulfing his bed.

“Just thinking.”

Tommy didn’t answer back; he just continued to stuff junk into Adam’s closet before pulling back the blanket and motioning for Adam to climb in.

“Ya know, I’ve spent the past six weeks laying on my back.  I’m pretty sure I’m good for the moment,” Adam said playfully.

Rolling his eyes, Tommy plopped down on his own bed with a huff.  “Yes, I know, but I don’t know what to do here.  All of this is my fault.  I feel like I need to make it up to you.”

Adam crossed the room, tentatively sitting next to Tommy on his bed.  Sure, Tommy had been nothing but doting for the last few weeks, but this was his personal space.  Adam didn’t want to horn in where he may not have been invited just yet.  “I think you’ve done enough making up to last a lifetime.  Thank you for helping me get strong enough to come home.”

“Sure,”  Tommy said quietly.  There was an awkwardness in Tommy that had shown up as soon as Adam was released from the hospital.  Tommy was efficient and to the point while Adam was still in need of assistance, but now he had turned quiet and reserved.  It was possibly do to the fact that they still hadn’t talked about what had happened.  Tommy had tried to get everything out in the open the day after Adam had woken up, but Adam insisted they wait for the heavy stuff until they were both back at the dorm.

Like peeling off a band-aid, this needed to be quick and to the point, before Adam lost Tommy once again to his own demons. “I killed my family,” Adam said in a flat tone.

Tommy looked up from where he was staring at his hands, a questioning look on his face.

“I was twenty-one.  I got into a fight with my dad.  My flames decided to manifest for the first time during the worst fight we’d ever had.  I threw a fireball at him.  He died pretty quickly.  I tried to save my mom and brother, but I’d set the entire house ablaze, and they were upstairs.  They both died in my arms.”

Silence engulfed the room.  Neither said a word.  The only sound was the soft susurration of breathing as Adam watched Tommy absorb what he had just been told.  Tommy’s face was unreadable.  He just looked at Adam with a penetrating glare, as if he were trying to watch Adam’s tragedy unfold through Adam’s crystal blue eyes. Tommy eyes were so fixated on Adam that it was almost uncomfortable to stare back, but he did.  He never broke eye contact with Tommy.  He kept the connection solid, willing Tommy find whatever he was looking for to create peace through Adam’s eyes.  

“I’m sorry.”  Tommy looked away from Adam, the sadness in his features was doing strange things to Adam’s heart.

He wanted to comfort Tommy but didn’t know how to do it without crossing boundaries.  He didn’t want Tommy to feel sorry for him.  He’d made peace with what he’d done.  He really didn’t want his experience to affect Tommy negatively at all.  It was meant to help, to find common ground, so Tommy’s healing could begin.  The look on his face was anything but positive.  It made Adam need to touch Tommy, embrace him, make him feel cared for, like he wasn’t alone.

Adam brought his hand up, to touch Tommy’s cheek, but hesitated when Tommy balked.  He wanted to comfort Tommy, cup his cheek so Tommy would feel the warm connection that Adam was trying to convey.  How quickly he had forgotten what had brought them to this place.  The need to comfort was compulsive, so instead he brought his hand down and rested it on Tommy’s shoulder.  “There’s nothing to be sorry about.  It was a tragic accident, but I’ve made peace with it.”

Tommy studied Adam’s face.  His eyes roamed over every feature, as if he were looking at Adam for the first time.  Perhaps he was.  “How do you?  Make peace with it?”

“Time.  And a sturdy shoulder to cry on.”

With his gaze still roaming Adam’s tired features, Tommy came to a stop at Adam’s blue ones.  He stared, reaching all the way into Adam’s very soul with those muted, sad brown eyes.  They were so beautiful, and rich with depth, but hollowed out by Tommy’s guilt.  They dug so deeply through Adam that he felt stripped and vulnerable.  Right as he was beginning to twitch with need to look away, Tommy leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Adam’s waist and burying his head into Adam chest.  

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Adam sat there for a few moments, unsure of what to do.  It wasn’t until he heard the soft sobs that he wrapped his own arms around Tommy in a strong embrace.  “It’s okay, Tommy.  I’ve got you.  It’ll be okay.”

Adam sat tangled with Tommy until he had cried out all of his pain.  It wasn’t gone by any means, but it was a starting point, and that was a big step.  Tommy leaned back, withdrawing his arms from Adam’s waist as he attempted to wipe at the dried tears on his cheeks. “Sorry about that.” He looked up at Adam with a small, weak smile.

“Nothing to be sorry about, Tommy.  I told you from the beginning, I’m here for you.  Whatever, whenever you need me, I’m here.”

Tommy looked up into Adam’s eyes again.  This time his brown eyes were no longer dull.  There was a hint of something, a sparkle that hadn’t been there before.  Adam’s heart squeezed in his chest.  He’d helped put that sparkle back into Tommy’s eyes.  He would keep it there as long as Tommy would let him.

****  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

The next week was slow for Adam.  It consisted of more bedrest, which he was not at all happy with, and Tommy insisting on taking care of his every need.  After the first night back in the dorm, when Adam had made his confession and Tommy had broken down, things had been different.  Tommy was talkative.  They’d spent hours talking.  Adam had learned that though Tommy was a genius, his parents refused to let him skip grades.  They’d wanted Tommy to have as normal of a childhood as possible.  Instead, he took online courses and was put in academic workshops to keep him from being bored.  Adam also learned that Tommy was a very established musician.  As well as being freakishly intelligent, he’d also excelled at the fine arts.  He started on the violin, but when he became a teenager, he realized he wanted to play guitar instead.  To Adam’s pleasure, Tommy had agreed to play alongside Adam for his audition to get into the campus musical later in the year.

They’d also talked about small things.  Tommy’s favorite things, childhood memories, fears, and goals.  By the end of the week, Adam had realized he was developing a bit of a crush on the new side of Tommy. The real Tommy.  Every time Tommy spoke, Adam had an almost uncontrollable urge to touch Tommy’s delicate face.  The curve of his jaw, his high cheekbones, his soft, pouty lips, he wanted to relish the porcelain skin.  It was the knowledge of what had happened that kept the urge under control.

The more he thought about it, the more Tommy’s situation was the most unfair he’d ever encountered.  Tommy would never be able to feel the warmth of a hand on his cheek.  He would never be able to have a sexual or intimate relationship.  No wonder he closed himself off from the world.  

An idea came to Adam.  What if Adam was able to find a way to create a barrier that allowed Tommy to have skin-to-skin contact?  It was a long shot, he knew, but nothing was impossible.  He would talk to Mr. Damel when he went back to class.

“Mr. Damel, can I speak with you?”  Adam asked a week later when he was released from doctor’s care, allowing him to return to classes.

“Yes, Adam.  What can I do for you?”

“Well, I’ve gotten a chance to really get to know Tommy over the past few weeks.”

Mr. Damel smiled.  “I know.  Despite the circumstances, I’m glad he was able to open up.  Make a friend.”

“Yes.  I’m definitely becoming a friend.  I care about him.  Very much.”  Adam hesitated briefly, wondering if he was asking too much.  Ultimately, Tommy was too important to second guess his decision.  He asked his question.  “I would like to ask for your help.  I want to try to find a way for Tommy to be normal.  Well, as normal as he can be.”

Mr. Damel furrowed his brow in question.  “What do you mean, Adam?”

Adam sighed and began to explain.  “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Tommy’s inability to have human contact, and all the things in life he’ll miss out on.  It made me wonder.  Is there a way to cure him?  If not, is there a way to bypass the toxin, allowing him to touch skin on a temporary basis?  What if I, with the help of you, of course, Mr. Damel, could give him that?”

“That seems like an impossibility.  We have no idea how Tommy’s mutation works.  We pretty much know nothing about it.”

“That’s the thing. We can learn.  Think about it.  We as humans have created so many things.  For example, sunscreen.  It’s manmade to block the sun’s rays.  Who’s to say we can’t create something that blocks Tommy’s toxin?”

Mr. Damel’s expression displayed curiosity and genuine interest in the idea that Adam was forming.  “We don’t know what the toxin consists of.  We would have to get Tommy’s DNA, skin samples, and then test it.”

Adam frowned.  He didn’t want Tommy to know what he was attempting to do.  It would only get Tommy’s hopes up, and Adam didn’t want him to be disappointed if nothing came of Adam’s ideas.  “I don’t want Tommy to know what I’m thinking, but I live with him.  I’m sure I can get what we need.”

Thinking for a long moment, Mr. Damel’s face lit up as if a lightbulb went off behind his eyes.  “You know, Adam, I think this is a genius idea.  The problem is in executing it.  We’ll need more than just his DNA and the molecular makeup of his skin.  We’ll need money to fund it, lab rats to test it, if the toxin even works on anything other than humans, and time.  Lots and lots of time.  This won’t be easy.”

Adam knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he had to try.  Tommy was worth the effort.  “I’ve got all the time in the world.  I can get the DNA samples and skin sample,  some hair from his brush for DNA.  We could probably get toxin off of a cup or something that Tommy’s drunk from. Money is the only issue.”

“I can present it to the funding board.  With the unique challenges that pertain only to Tommy, I’m sure I can get them on board to solicit donations.  Plus, you can use this as the basis of your exit project, which is a requirement to graduate.  I know it’s outside of your realm of interest, but I think it would make a real impression if you choose something other than of the fine arts.”

The smile that Adam held on his face couldn’t be contained.  This was perfect.  If he could pull this off, Tommy would be able to live his life without fear, and without self loathing.  He would be free.  Adam just hoped with everything inside him that he’d succeed.

“Thank you, Mr. Damel.  You have no idea what this means to me.  What it will mean to Tom-”  Adam was cut off by the appearance of a blond puff of hair in his peripherals.

“Hey, Adam.  Mr. Damel,”  Tommy greeted with a look of skepticism in his eyes.  There was no way to deny that Adam and their professor were talking about him.

“Hey, Tommy.  What’s up?”  Adam asked trying to keep his voice stable.  He was desperate to keep his plan under wraps.

“Nothing.  I was just wondering what was taking you so long.”

“I just had to talk to Mr. Damel about catch up work.  I’m done now.  We can go.”

The look on Tommy’s face said that he knew Adam was lying.  If he did suspect, he didn’t mention it.  Instead he just smiled and waved his goodbye to Mr. Damel as he and Adam left the room.   

The two young men walked back to the dorm in silence.  The silence was uncomfortable for Adam.  Tommy had this faraway look on his face.  He wasn’t there with Adam; he was somewhere else.  Maybe he would talk to Adam about it when they got to their room, but Adam wouldn’t push.  He never pushed.  Tommy had been quite honest with Adam, and Adam refused to do anything to change that.

“Wanna go grab a coffee while we’re here?”  Adam asked as they crossed in front of the campus coffee shop. “I’m sure Eva will be delighted to see us.”

Tommy turned his head to face Adam.  “Sure,”  was his reply.

They entered the shop, and Eva spotted them immediately.  Her lips curled up.  She was grinning from ear-to-ear.  “My boys!”  she exclaimed.  Ever since Adam left the hospital and started coming in to get coffee with Tommy, they’d become Eva’s favorite duo.  Adam didn’t miss the cheeky winks she gave him when Tommy wasn’t looking.  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep the red off his cheeks.  Tommy had seen it everytime, and Adam had to lie and say that the coffee was unnaturally hot.  

“Hey, Eva.  The usual please.”

“Anything for you, sweetheart,” Eva said to Adam affectionately.  “And what can I get for you, sugar?”

Tommy gave Eva a lopsided grin.  He still hadn’t gotten used to the term of endearment Eva used with him.  The slight look of awkwardness on Tommy’s face made Adam crush on him even more.

“Let me see,” Tommy said, his eyes searching the menu.  He did this every time.  He scanned the menu, mumbling to himself as if trying to talk himself into trying something new.  After several minutes of indecision, he always picks the same thing.  “Can I get a plain coffee, please?”

Adam laughed. “You always do that.”

“Do what?”

“Scour the menu, and then order the same old boring coffee.”

“I like boring coffee.”

“Ok.”  Adam had his ideas as to why Tommy always picked the same thing after contemplating other, less familiar, less safe choices.   It may only be coffee, but it said a lot about Tommy.  It told Adam that Tommy played it safe.  He wanted to try new things, but given the choice, he would always choose the safer route.  It saddened Adam, but it also made him that much more determined to give Tommy all the joys in life.

Eva floated the coffees over to the counter and took a bow, which made Tommy chuckle under his breath.  “Thanks, Eva.”

“Anytime, sugar.”

They left the coffee shop, and began their trek back to the dorm.  Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Tommy beginning to sip from his cup.  “Wait,”  Adam said, causing Tommy to look up from his cup.  “Here, have mine.”  Adam held his cup out to Tommy.

Tommy just gave Adam a strange look.

“Try something new. You might like it.”

“I like what I’ve got.”

Adam crossed his arms over his chest.  “I don’t think you really do.  I think you’re just afraid to go outside your comfort zone and try something new.”

Looking at Adam like he’d lost his mind, Tommy just shook his head.  “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“Take my coffee.”

“I have my own.”

“Take my coffee, Tommy.”

“Adam...”

“Take. My. Coffee.”

Exasperated, Tommy grabbed the cup from Adam’s hands and took a long gulp.  He shot Adam a dirty look as he shoved the cup back into Adam’s hand.  Adam just smiled back with a wicked grin.

“Good, isn’t it?”

“It’s drinkable.”

“Whatever,”  Adam rolled his eyes.  Tommy was acting like a petulant child.  It was adorable.

They walked the rest of the way to the dorm before either one spoke again.  To Adam’s surprise, Tommy asked him about his coffee.  After much teasing, Adam told him it was a caramel latte, and Tommy admitted to enjoying it.  Things quickly got awkward, however, when Tommy snatched Adam’s cup from his hands as he was moving to take a sip.  Adam hadn’t even thought about the fact that Tommy’s lips had touched it.  Adam felt like the progress they’d just made had taken a step backwards.

Adam assured Tommy that it was fine.  Tommy was shaken by the near miss and visibly tried to close back in on himself.  Adam was having none of it.  Tommy wasn’t going back into his isolated shell, not if Adam could help it.  

“Can I ask you something?”  Adam was hoping to get Tommy to open up again.

“Sure.”

“Does that happen often?  Ya know, the coffee thing.”

Puzzled Tommy asked, “The coffee thing?”

“Yes, contemplating trying something new, but then choosing the safe route.”

“I don’t do that.”

Adam moved closer to Tommy, gently nudging him to sit on the bed.  Tommy bent at the knees and sat, Adam falling next to him with his knee bent in front of him.  Tommy turned a bit so he was facing Adam as he spoke. “Then why do you search the menu every time, and then choose the same, safe choice?”

Tommy stared at Adam.  The rich, brown irises didn’t lie.  Adam could see through Tommy’s eyes down to the boy who would give anything to be normal.  The boy who carried too big of a burden, the boy who was afraid.  Adam could see what Tommy feared, what he craved, and what he tried to hide from the world.  He was wide open, without even realizing it.

Adam looked down at Tommy’s lap, at his gloved hands resting on his thighs.  In that moment, Adam would’ve given just about anything to feel Tommy’s skin.  Cradling Tommy’s face in his hands, Adam would silently reassure Tommy that he didn’t have to be alone.  He didn’t have to play it safe. Instead, he reached down and took the gloved hand into his own.  Tommy flinched at the initial contact, but slowly relaxed as Adam’s eyes  reassured Tommy that the touch was okay.  Adam lifted Tommy’s hand and interlocked their fingers.  “You don’t have to be afraid, Tommy.  Let me help you.”

Tommy inhaled and let out a long, shaky, breath.  His eyes left Adam’s gaze, and landed on their tangled fingers.  Tommy looked curious, like he was contemplating Adam’s offer.  After several minutes, Tommy met Adam’s eyes again.  The sadness Adam saw in Tommy’s eyes made his heart hurt.  “How?  How do I stop being afraid?”

“You just have to push through it.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“You can.  With time.  I want to help you.  Please, Tommy.  Let me help you.”

With only a moment of hesitation, Tommy whispered “Okay.”

The vulnerability in Tommy’s voice, the blind trust he had just given Adam, had Adam’s heart fluttering.  He wanted nothing more than to help Tommy, make him whole again, but in the back of his mind, Adam knew.  It had already been set in motion.  He knew he’d never make it through this journey to Tommy’s freedom without losing his heart.

****  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Back to the grind is what they say.  That was exactly what Adam had been doing.  It took him almost a month of doing nothing but sitting at his desk with only an occasional glimpse out the window to catch up on all the work he’d missed while recovering from his near death experience.  During that month, Tommy had been an absolute sweetheart.  He stayed in, not that he ever really went out, and kept Adam company.  He even helped Adam with bits of his homework that he didn’t understand.  The way Tommy explained Chemistry, he should be teaching, not learning.  He brought Adam food and coffee and even forced Adam to take breaks every so often.  Adam was thankful for the interruptions and the care Tommy was giving him.  Sometimes it felt like Tommy was still trying to make up for almost killing Adam, but sometimes, for a brief moment, it felt like Tommy was doing it for an entirely different reason.  He was doing it because he wanted to.  Because he cared.

Adam didn’t get to do much in terms of figuring out a solution to Tommy’s issue, but in the month, Mr Damel was able to secure funding and get approval to use the lab for the research.  Adam was also able to get approval  for the research and experimentation to be used as his exit project.  Now, he just needed to get Tommy’s DNA and toxin samples to proceed.

The DNA sample was easy.  Adam raided Tommy’s drawer in the bathroom they shared and bagged several strands of blond hair.  The skin and toxin samples were much more difficult.  Adam tried to get a sample from a used cup, but Mr. Damel was unable to find viable levels of toxin.  He had brought in a band-aid Tommy had used on a paper cut, but that also was unusable.  Finally, it dawned on him one morning while they were both in the bathroom getting ready for class.  Adam had been blowdrying his hair, and Tommy had been shaving.  As soon as Tommy left the dorm, Adam bagged up Tommy’s razor and took it to Mr. Damel.  Bingo.  There had been a smorgasbord of skin cells.  There was also enough toxin to kill one of the lab rats.  Adam felt bad, but it was a small price to pay for Tommy’s happiness.

Between classes, Adam put the razor back, and Tommy was never the wiser.  He met Tommy in Chemistry two hours later.  Since coming back to class, Adam and Tommy had become lab partners.  Tommy was still an asshole to everyone else in the class, but not to Adam. Tommy treated him like his best friend in the world.  In all honesty, he probably was, and he loved every bit of it.  The vast difference in interactions and personality left much to be gossiped about.  The student body, as a whole, still didn’t know what Tommy was capable of.  Only a few were privy to the details of Adam’s accident; the rest just had assumptions.  Adam had heard from multiple sources that the biggest rumor was that Tommy and Adam were lovers, that was why Tommy’s attitude with Adam was so drastically different.  Another rumor that had gotten Adam his fair share of inquisitive eyes was that Adam had almost died in some sort of kinky breath-play.  Adam didn’t even know what that meant.  He’d had to google it and was horrified.

For the most part, however, things had died down, and the other students found something else to gossip about.  Adam couldn’t care less what they had said about him, but he cared very much what was said about Tommy and how it  affected him.  

After class, Adam made up an excuse as to why he needed to stay and talk to Dr. Damel.  Tommy, as always, was skeptical but didn’t question Adam.  He just said goodbye and went on his way.  Once the coast was clear, Adam and Mr. Damel got down to business.  Up to this point, Mr. Damel had been able to compare Tommy’s DNA with that of other mutated students, as well as compare it to normal human DNA.  As expected, Tommy’s DNA was different than that of a normal human but shared certain characteristicsl to that of a mutated human.  They had hit a dead end with the DNA.  Mr. Damel was also able to compare Tommy’s skin cells to those of other students and did find differences.  Knowing relatively nothing about biology, Adam had to take Mr. Damel’s word for it that there were differences, until he was able to fully understand the cell makeup.  It took until well into fall before Mr. Damel was able to identify the toxin.  He’d compared it to every toxic element on the periodic table, every drug or poison ever made.  In the end it matched nothing, but had properties of many.  It had elements of cyanide poisoning, opiate overdose, and snake venom.  The combination of all elements caused a terrifying, painful death by suffocation.  At least that is what it felt like to Adam.

Now that the toxic components of the toxin were known, it was given a name TR1.

“So, what’s the plan now, Mr. Damel?”  Adam asked, tossing his books down on a table to help Mr. Damel set up the lab.

“Now it’s time to find a treatment.”

“All right.  And how do we do that?”

Mr. Damel looked over his notes he’d taken over the course of the research.  He was a thorough man and noted every small detail so nothing would ever be overlooked.  “Well, we’ll start by testing the anecdotes for each of the toxins we’ve compared.  We’ll try to counteract the opiate effect with Narcan. The cyanide has multiple antagonists we’ll have to explore, as does snake venom.”

Adam looked confused.  “I really have no idea what you're saying.  Antagonist?  Narcan?”

Mr. Damel simply chuckled.  “An antagonist is a substance that will counteract the toxicity.  For example if one overdoses on heroin, or even prescription narcotics, Narcan is the antagonist.  It will counteract the drug and basically render it moot.”

That made sense to Adam, though he felt useless with the little knowledge he had.  Chemistry and science weren’t his strong suits.  “I get that.  It sounds simple enough.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too high, Adam.  There are so many factors at play.  Once we test all the antagonists and find what works for each individual element, we then have to combine them and find which combination works as a whole.  We can’t fight one and not the other.  Every element has to be counteracted, or it simply won’t work.”

Adam thought about that for a moment.  There were possibly thousands of combinations, weeks if not months or years of trial and error.  He prayed silently that it wouldn’t take too long to find something that worked.  He wanted Tommy to be free to feel, free to be close to someone sooner rather than later.  And a very small part of Adam, a selfish part, wanted this for himself as well.  He wanted to be able to feel Tommy.  He wanted to touch Tommy’s porcelain skin and feel the warmth on his fingertips.  He wanted things that confused and scared him, but he wanted, all the same.

~ ~ ~

Tommy was sitting on his bed, quietly plucking at his guitar when Adam entered their room.  He looked up with a smile and sat the guitar to the side.  “Hey.”

“Hey, Tommy.  That sounded great.”

“Thanks,”  Tommy said quietly.  He was always soft spoken and often blushed when given a complement.  “I was just waiting for you.”

“Were you?”  Adam asked, smitten with the idea that Tommy was waiting for him to get home.   How domestic.  Adam approved.

Tommy popped himself up off of his red and black bed and came to a stop in front of Adam.  He reached out and took some books off of the giant stack Adam had been holding and put them on the desk.  Adam put the remainder on the desk, as well.  “I was thinking about what you said a while ago.  About the coffee.  I want to do something spontaneous.”

“Really?  Tommy and spontaneous is an unknown duo.”

Tommy grinned from ear-to-ear.  “It’s time to change that.”

~ ~ ~

Two hours later, Adam sat on his butt, covered in dirt and possibly a bruise or seven.  Tommy’s moment of spontaneity was to go rollerblading.  He explained to Adam that he used to like to rollerblade, but since Erik, he was afraid to do anything that had the potential for injury.  He didn’t want to risk someone trying to help him and coming in contact with his skin.  Adam, who normally was graceful, had the grace of an ox while on wheels.  He was impressed he lasted as long as he did without a major fall. Unfortunately, now he sat banged up, with ripped track pants and bloodied knees.  He may also have had a broken wrist.  He wasn’t sure.  Maybe sprained or twisted. All he knew was it hurt like hell.

“Let me look at it,”  Tommy said.  He’d calmed his laughter as soon as he realized Adam was injured.

“I’m okay, Tommy, really.  My wrist hurts, but my pride hurts more.”

Lifting Adam’s arm with his gloved hand, Tommy touched Adam’s wrist, moving it this way and that while he gave it a thorough inspection.  “It doesn’t look broken.  No bruising yet.  I think it’ll be okay.”

“Good.  Can we go now?”  Adam loved that Tommy had pushed past a very large fear that he’d harbored, but it’d been enough for one day.

With a sympathetic nod, Tommy helped Adam to his feet.  Adam wobbled for a moment before getting his bearings.  “Just so you know, next time you want to be spontaneous, we’ll discuss it first.”

Tommy chuckled.  “That’s not very spontaneous.”

“Call it spontaneous planning.”

“Whatever you say, Twinkle Toes.”

Adam gave Tommy a menacing glare a split second before he pounced.  “I’ll show you twinkle toes.”  Before Adam was able to execute his plan of revenge, he tripped and plowed into Tommy’s chest, sending both men tumbling to the ground.  For the second time in less than five minutes, Adam was on the dirty ground.  Only this time, a soft body cushioned his fall.  He raised his head to find a stunned Tommy, staring, with a look of panic in his brown eyes.  Adam was so close to Tommy’s face, their noses were no more than millimeters away from each other.  Adam was so close, he felt the warm puffs of air that left Tommy’s panting lungs.

“Are you okay?”  Adam asked, concerned.  Adam outweighed Tommy by a good 50 pounds, so their position couldn’t be comfortable.  He lifted himself up on his elbows, taking some of his weight with him, while he waited for Tommy to confirm that he wasn’t injured.

“I’m good.”  Tommy still looked spooked, but was quickly relaxing as the knowledge that Adam was okay sunk in.  

For a moment, they just stared at each other.  Brown to blue, blue to brown, a unspoken conversation passed within their gaze.  Walls were breaking, the cracks visible through Tommy’s dark pupils.  Something was there.  Something Adam had fantasized about seeing, but never thought Tommy would ever show him.  Desire.  Pure, raw desire sat nestled within the depths of Tommy’s eyes.  Adam wanted nothing more than to kiss Tommy in that moment.

As soon as an erection made an appearance, the spell was broken.  Adam knew he was hard, and was pretty sure that Tommy felt it, but it was Tommy’s own erection that had Tommy pushing Adam away and jumping to his feet.  It was a slow build. Adam felt it against his belly as they lie in silence.  The moment Tommy became aware of his body’s reaction was evident in his wide eyes and urgency to get to his feet.

“We should head back.  You need to clean up those knees,” Tommy said, turning around and skating off a ways.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”  

**  
**Adam skated up to join Tommy.  They spent the remainder of the time it took to get to the dorm in silence.  Adam was afraid to speak.  Tommy was in that place again.  That far off place.  The same place he went when Adam was challenging Tommy with coffee.  He let Tommy go there and stay there as long as he needed.  Adam only hoped that place wasn’t distant, because he liked Tommy as close as he could keep him.


	9. Chapter 9

October turned into November.  November turned into December.  December turned into the coldest beginning of winter in history.  Adam had just left the Chemistry lab, another failed attempt at finding a solution for Tommy’s woes.  It had been months of frustration, and Adam was losing hope.  Everyday, Mr. Damel and Adam put their heads together and worked.  Mixed antagonists, tested on rats, and nothing.  Nothing but white, lifeless rats.  Some of the combinations appeared to work.  The rats moving around their tiny cages as if nothing was wrong, only to die minutes to hours later.  It had been a long, painful process.

Adam zipped up his coat, put on his warmest, plaid scarf, and insulated to the extreme gloves.  He had spent so much time away from Tommy, making excuses as to why he was constantly avoiding him.  He wasn’t avoiding Tommy.  He never wanted to be away from Tommy, but it was necessary.  The outcome was worth the agony of being without the tiny blond.  They spent most of their weekends together, with the occasional Saturday morning in the lab.  Mr. Damel’s wife went away for monthly conferences, and he insisted they spend the extra free hours in the lab.

“Good night, Mr. Damel.  I’ll see you on Monday,”  Adam said as he picked up his bag and headed for the door.

“Good night, Adam.  Have a good weekend.”

Adam sighed heavily.  He wanted to have a good weekend, but he didn’t know what type of mood Tommy would be in.  Over the months, Tommy had begun to go back to his dark place more and more.  Adam knew it was his fault.  They’d gone from being together everyday, talking and pushing Tommy out of his comfort zone, to only hanging out on the weekends with Adam lying about his after class activities.  He knew Tommy didn’t believe him, and it was getting more difficult to keep things under wraps.  Tommy was regressing, and it was Adam’s fault.

“Adam?”  Mr. Damel said before Adam crossed the threshold of the door.

“Yes, Mr. Damel.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.  We’ve made great progress.  We’ll find something.”

“Ok,”  Adam said quietly, not believing that they would ever find something that worked, and Tommy would forever be physically alone.

Adam thought as he walked back to the dorm.  He didn’t want Tommy to be alone.  Emotionally, he knew Tommy would never be alone.  Adam would be there as long as Tommy allowed.  Adam was connected to Tommy in a way he couldn’t explain.  His near death at Tommy’s hands  didn’t make Adam fearful.  He didn’t hate Tommy.  Just the opposite.  Adam had developed strong, sometimes nonsensical feelings for Tommy. Tommy couldn’t, and potentially wouldn’t ever be able to have a physical relationship with anyone.  Adam fought the feelings, but to no avail.  He wanted Tommy.  And not just physically.  He wanted every inch of Tommy, body and soul.

Lost in thought, Adam hadn’t been paying attention and smacked into something hard.  That something hard was Ashni.

“Oh, my God!  Ashni, I’m so sorry.”

She picked up the blueberry muffin she’d dropped on the ground, scrunching her nose up at the now inedible treat.  “Guess I didn’t need this,”  she said, throwing the muffin in the nearby bin.

“I’ll buy you a new one.”

Ashni shook her head and waved her hand in front of her face.  “Just the universe telling me I didn’t need it.”

“Sorry anyway.”

Ashni smiled brightly.  Adam smiled back.  It was hard to be in a sour mood around the bubbly girl.

 

Nudging Adam in the ribcage, Ashni asked, “So, what’s up with you?”

“Not much,” Adam lied.  He didn’t think he should tell anyone his recent activities, even though would trust Ashni with his life.

“You’re lying,” said the always perceptive girl.

He was lying, but apparently not very well.  He thought for a moment.  Would he be able to tell Ashni?  He wanted to, but the less people that knew, the better.  He thought quickly before he answered.  “You’re right.  I am lying.  I’m failing Chemistry.  I’ve been staying after everyday for tutoring sessions with Mr. Damel.”

Ashni gave Adam a look of disbelief.  “Really?  Wow.  I never would have guessed you needed help with anything.  Ever.  You’re like, perfect.”

Adam smiled lovingly at Ashni.  He knew that at the beginning of their friendship, Ashni had had a crush on him.  It was cute, but she’d quickly realized she’d never be his type.  From there, the friendship had blossomed into what it was today.  Ashni was the sister that Adam never had.  “I’m far from perfect, but thanks for the compliment.”

She elbowed Adam in the ribs again.  They both laughed and spent several minutes in silence.  Adam enjoyed spending time with Ashni.  He felt guilty that his time with her had been compromised as well.  Not only by his research, but by Tommy as well.  He needed to make time for the people he cared about.

After several minutes, Ashni broke the silence.  “So, what’s up with your antisocial roommate?”

“He’s not antisocial,”  Adam said, staring off into space.  He had been thinking about Tommy, more specifically Tommy’s blood hair and how he wanted to run his fingers through it.

Ashni stopped walking and gave Adam a knowing look.  “You like him.”  It wasn’t a question.

Adam looked taken aback.  “What?”

“Don’t try to deny it.  It’s so obvious.”  The smile on her face lit up brighter than the evening sun.

She was right, Adam couldn’t hide it.  It was best if he just admitted it.  “I do like him.”

“I knew it!”  As soon as she said it, her face fell, the smile being replaced by a look of concern.  “Just be careful.”

“I don’t need to be careful.”

“Adam., he’s unpredictable, and quite frankly, an asshole.  I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Adam sighed.  “Ashni, I know you worry about me, but I’m fine.  He’s really not that bad.  People just don’t know him.”

“That’s because he’s an asshole.”

“He’s not an asshole!”  Adam yelled harshly.  He immediately felt horrible.  “I’m sorry, Ashni.  That was a dick reaction.  But he really isn’t an asshole.”

“Apology accepted.”  Ashni studied Adam for a moment.  She stepped right up into his personal space and stared him down like no one has since his mother.  “You don’t like him.”

Adam laughed softly under his breath.  “I already told you that I did.”

A small, thin grin spread across Ashni’s pretty face.  “You love him.”

Caught off guard by Ashni’s bold statement, Adam stepped back.  He regarded her with a look of denial.  “No!  I don’t.  He’s just a friend.”  He was too quick to answer.  Her grin widened.

Shit.  Did he love Tommy?  They’d spent quite some time together since the accident.  Tommy had helped Adam with the homework he was behind on.  He’d told Adam about his history, and in turn, Adam told Tommy everything about himself.  They’d shared everything with each other.  That was what friends did.  Wasn’t it?

On the other side of the card, did friends force each other to face their fears?  Did friends help each other break through their hang ups?  Yes.  Friend do that.  Do friends give up their free time to help a friend out of a bind?  Sure.  Do friends give up their life, ignore their other friends, and become obsessed with saving their friend from living a life alone?  No.  They don’t.  

Adam’s felt the blood rush to his face.  The fire he felt in his cheeks was surely visible to a smug looking Ashni.

“Admit it; you love him.”

Adam thought for a moment.  He knew he had feelings for Tommy, feelings that ran much deeper than friendship.  He was attracted to Tommy, for sure.  He thought about Tommy twenty-four seven.  He thought about his big, brown eyes and how expressive they could be.  He thought about Tommy’s smile, on the rare occasions it made an appearance.  He thought about how Tommy’s skin seemed to shine in the moonlight that slipped through the crack of the curtains and kissed Tommy’s sleeping face.

Realization hit like a lightning strike.  “I lo...love him.  Holy shit, Ashni.  I love him.”

Ashni bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped her hands in front of her face.  Her smile was contagious, causing Adam to match it in wattage and intensity.  “You love him.  I guess he must not be an asshole.”

“He really isn’t.  I mean he was at first, but that was before I got to know him.  He’s just…”  Adam searched for a word that wouldn’t cause Ashni to ask questions that he couldn’t answer. “Complicated.”

“Well, complicated I understand.  Just be careful, ok?  You’ve been through enough.  I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I’m more likely to hurt him,” Adam said, reaching out and swallowing Ashni in a bear hug.  He squeezed her so tightly, he lifted her off of her feet. “Look, I gotta go.”

“I love you, Adam.”

“I love you too, little girl.”

Ashni pulled back.  “Hey.  I’m a women now.”

“You’ll never be a woman to me.”  He kissed her on the forehead, set her back onto her feet, before pivoting on his foot and walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.

~ ~ ~ ~

Adam opened the door, and as usual, Tommy was sitting on his bed, strumming the strings of his guitar.  Whenever Tommy played, Adam would close his eyes and hum along to the chords.  Tommy had a gift, and it wasn’t just the ability to play.  When Tommy’s fingers came into contact with the strings of his guitar, magic happened.  The melodies soothed Adam in a way nothing ever had.  It brought Adam peace.

Shit.  He was so in love.

Tommy stopped playing as soon as he saw Adam staring at him from the doorway.  He placed his guitar on the bed beside him and lifted himself off the mattress.

“Hey,”  Tommy said.

“Hey.”

There was a thickness in the air between them.  Adam had never felt it before.  Perhaps it was just the tension caused by the discovery of his feelings.  But there was something else.  The feeling was coming from Tommy.  Adam looked at Tommy, trying to guess what the other man was thinking.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Tommy spoke.  “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Shit.  He knew. Tommy knew.  How did Tommy know, when Adam just figured it out himself?  “What do you mean?”

Sitting back on his bed, Tommy regarded Adam as if he were a scared cat.  Kid gloves.  He was getting ready to address Adam with kid gloves, like Adam was going to get spooked and run.  “There’s something going on with you.  I can’t put my finger on it, but you’re different.”

“I’m not different.”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I have not,” Adam said.  He went for a convincing tone, but he couldn’t even convince himself.  He had been avoiding Tommy.

“Adam, don’t lie to me.  Please, just tell me the truth.”

Lies.  Adam hadn’t been telling lies, per say, just exaggerated truths.  He again explained to Tommy that he had been getting help from Mr. Damel.  Tommy countered, pointing out that no one needed to study that much, especially one-on-one with a busy teacher.  Adam had no rebuttal.  He just reiterated that he was getting help.

Tommy didn’t buy it.

“What is it Adam?  Are you pissed at me?”

“No.”

“Are you sick of me.”

“Of course not, Tommy.”

“Are seeing someone?”

Tommy’s question had Adam’s response sticking in his throat.  He hadn’t been expecting that question to come from Tommy, of all people.  Adam hadn’t even thought about another man since Tommy entered his life.  Before Tommy, Adam had been a recluse, but he wasn’t completely out of the social loop.  When the urge struck, and he needed some stress relief, he would go to a club.  He wasn’t above picking up a stranger.  It gave him a temporary release, but he’d always felt rotten come morning.

“God, Tommy.  No.”

“Then what?  What is it, Adam?”

Half truths.  He had to give something to Tommy.  The look on Tommy’s face was breaking Adam’s heart.  He looked desperate.  He needed an answer.  He deserved an answer.  “I’ve been working on my final project.”  There half truth.

Tommy looked at Adam, his eyes probing Adam’s expression, his mannerisms looking for the lie in the truth.  “You’re a sophomore.”

“Yes.  However, I decided to do something the exit panel wouldn’t expect from me.”

Tommy’s expression softened.  He believed Adam.  Adam exhaled with relief.

“Well, if you ever need help,” Tommy offered without actually offering.

Adam smiled.  Tommy was just astonishing.  To the outside world, he was cold, mean, unapproachable.  To Adam he was fun, friendly, and the best friend he’d ever had.  He’d surpassed even Aleron in the friend department.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good, because I...well I miss hanging out with you.”

Adam made his way over to where Tommy was sitting on the bed.  They always seemed to end up on Tommy’s bed when they were having a deep conversation.  Tommy’s bed.  Nope.  Adam had to keep his thoughts under control. “I miss hanging out with you, too,”  Adam admitted.  Tommy didn’t know the half of it.

“Let’s do something this weekend.  Something fun and spontaneous,”  Adam said to Tommy, excited at the prospect of spending the weekend having fun with Tommy.  

“Doesn’t planning to be spontaneous kinda defeat the purpose of being spontaneous.”

Adam smiled.  “Not if you wing it.”

“Wing it?”

“Yes.  Wing it.”

Tommy pretended to be seriously contemplating the offer, even though Adam knew he was just messing with him.  After several torturous minutes, Tommy grinned wide.  “Let’s do it.  Let’s wing it.”

Adam felt his heart squeeze.  “Let’s do it.”

****  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Adam tossed and turned all night in anticipation of his day with Tommy.  He knew exactly what he wanted to do, which was very unspontaneous.  He didn’t tell Tommy his plan, but he knew Tommy would go with it.  

At around four thirty in the morning, Adam had had enough of waiting.  He didn’t even feel bad when he crossed the room, and jumped onto Tommy’s bed, straddling the sleeping man’s waist with his long legs.  He bounced up and down in an attempt to wake Tommy up in the most annoying way possible.  His actions were childlike and boyish.  For a brief moment he felt like he was a skinny little eight year old again, laughing and having fun with his mom and baby brother.  That was until Tommy’s eyes shot open in horror.  Adam stopped bouncing and immediately felt why Tommy looked so panic-stricken.  Not taking into consideration that Tommy was on his back when Adam had pounced, Adam had unknowingly been bouncing his ass over Tommy’s very alert dick.

“Oh, my God!  I’m so sorry!  I was just trying to-”  Adam cut himself off, jumping off the bed and Tommy like he’d touched a red hot stove.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Tommy sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.  “It’s okay, Adam.  You just scared the shit out of me.”  Tommy stood up, quickly turning and attempting to make his bed.  Tommy never made his bed, his actions being for the sole purpose of hiding the effect Adam’s bouncing ass had had on him.

“Here.  Let me help you with that,”  Adam offered, trying to make up for his role in Tommy’s current embarrassment.   He reached down to grab the red and black blankets from Tommy’s hand, only to accidentally brush his knuckles against the hardness Tommy was so desperately trying to hide.

“No!”  Tommy yelled in a clipped breath.  “It’s fine. Just leave it.  I’m just going to...I’ll be right back,”  Tommy said quickly as he speedily crossed the room to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Shit.  Adam had seen Tommy almost completely naked, only a towel hiding his most intimate areas.  He’d envisioned what Tommy would look like under that towel.  He even wished that just once he would get a sneak peek at Tommy’s goods. Maybe he’d accidentally drop his towel or get dressed in the dark, thinking Adam wouldn’t be able to see.  He never thought he’d get to come in contact with said goods.  Accident or not, Adam’s brain was fixated and stuck on that brief moment.  It may have only been his knuckles, and been layered by sheet and blanket, but Adam’s senses had been aware enough to feel the ridge of Tommy’s swollen and straining head.

Now Adam had a problem.  He adjusted himself quickly as the sound of the bathroom door opening made him turn in its direction.

“What time is it?”  Tommy asked, as if nothing awkward had just happened.  His face was impassive with the exception of sleepiness that had yet to fade.  

“Four thirty or so.”

“In the morning?”

“Yes.” Adam laughed at the seriousness in Tommy’s tone.  “We’re winging it, remember?”

“I don’t remember that involving being woken up before the ass crack of dawn, pretty boy.”  

“Pretty boy?”  Adam asked, not even trying to hide the amusement in his voice.  This morning was just getting more interesting by the minute.

Tommy crossed the room back to his bed as if nothing were out of the ordinary.  No one would have been able to guess that just minutes before, Tommy had looked mortified and making haste to get away from Adam.  “Yes, pretty boy.  Have you seen yourself?”

Adam looked down at himself.  He was wearing navy blue plaid sleep pants and a t-shirt that matched the shade of green that criss-crossed through the blocks of blue.  He shrugged his shoulders as if nothing was particularly out of the ordinary.

“Really.  You even have to match your pajamas.  Not to mention, what do you do to your hair?  Do you style it before going to bed?

Adam reached up and ran a hand through his soft and tousled hair.  No.  He didn’t style it before he went to bed.  That would be absurd.  He did have very thick and heavy hair, however, and sometimes he did wake up with it looking better than it usually did when he actually spent time styling it.

Tommy’s eyes twinkled with amusement.  Despite how the morning started, he was in a favorable mood.  “So, what does winging it at four in the morning entail, exactly?”

Adam smiled.  “Road trip.”

Tommy deliberated with himself for a moment.  “Ok.  What should I wear?”

“Something comfortable.  Who knows what we might encounter.”

With a questioning glance, Tommy made his way back to the bathroom, and moments later Adam heard the shower turn on.  As he walked over the the closet to pick out some clothes, he noticed that Tommy had left the door open.  Steamed oozed from the small crack between the heavy door and it’s frame.  Adam put his hand on the door and pushed gently before stopping and taking a step away.  No, he couldn’t.  Could he?  Yes, but he wouldn’t.  Or would he?  So many feeling were zipping through Adam’s heart and head. He felt dizzy and off kilter.  His brain’s instant reaction was to open the door, steal a peek at the warm, wet Tommy.  With a moment to process, he knew better.  That was crossing a line, even more so than non sexual ass-to-dick bouncing.

As he began to step back from the door and back to rummaging in his closet, Adam heard the call of his name.  “Adam?”

Adam inched closer to the door, jarring it open just enough so his voice would carry over the sound of the water cascading through the room.  “Did you need something, Tommy?”

“I forgot a towel. Would you bring me one?”

“Sure,”  Adam answered, swallowing down a thick taste of desire in his mouth at the thought of a naked Tommy just on the other side of the door.  He grabbed a towel, and cracked the door open a little farther.  He took a quick glance through the steam and saw that he was too far away to get the towel to the sink, or the top of the toilet by tossing it.  He would have to go into the bathroom.  Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and went inside.  

It wasn’t like he was able to see Tommy.  The shower curtain was opaque, and the steam ample.  It didn’t stop the butterflies of tension from fluttering rapidly through Adam’s belly.  He didn’t know if it was the wet steam or the proximity of a naked Tommy, but it was becoming difficult for Adam to breathe.  He had to retreat.  He placed the towel on the edge of the sink and backed out of the room.  Before he shut the door, he let Tommy know the towel was there.  He went back to gathering his things.

Tommy emerged from the shower about fifteen minutes later.  He didn’t always walk out in only his towel.  Most of the time, Tommy dressed, all the way down to his gloves, inside the closed off bathroom.  Adam had always felt this wasn’t due to modesty, but more due to fear.  They’d already had an accident.  One that could have been avoided if Tommy would have been dressed and covered in his usual protective armor.  Adam did his best to ignore the wet beads of water that trickled down from Tommy’s hair, falling off the tip of his  blond strands to his collarbone, and slowly sliding down Tommy’s chest until they dispersed out into a damp sheen across the expanse of his lithe abdomen.

“All yours, Adam.  I even left you some hot water.”  Tommy smiled, shaking some of the excess water from his hair.

“Thanks,”  was all Adam could muster up the energy to say.  He was pent up, more than he’d ever been with this beguiling creature.   He swiftly made his exit.

In the bathroom, he stripped slowly, coaxing his heart to slow its pace with long drawn breaths.  As he lowered his pajama pants, an ache ran the length of dick.  He’s been sexually frustrated since the day he met Tommy, but for some reason today, had been the worst.  And the day had only just started.  Whether it be the episode at the bed, or entering the bathroom with a bare Tommy, Adam’s nerves were screaming for release.  He grabbed his dick and squeezed, keeping pressure on his engorged flesh as he made his way to the hot shower.  

The heat of the water felt good against his back, melting away the tension he carried.  He washed his hair, taking extra time to work his fingers over his scalp, relaxing as he went.  He washed his skin, down his shoulders and arms, up over his neck and chest, working his muscles in tiny circles, each ministration alleviating a fraction of the stress knotted through his muscles.  No matter the pliancy of his flesh once finished, his erection was ever-present and straining against its skin.  Painfully swollen, Adam knew he wouldn’t be able to walk around with Tommy all day like this.  They would end up in the emergency room, Adam having blood withdrawn from his cock with a needle because he’d developed priapism.  So he took matters into his own able hands.

It was over as soon as it had begun.  A few quick pulls to the thought of Tommy’s pale flesh, and Adam came undone.  He finished washing, hopped out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Tommy was sitting on his bed, again with his guitar.  He wasn’t playing this time, he was rubbing oil into the wood.  Tommy treated his guitar like a child, pampering and peppering it with love every chance he got. He looked up from his guitar at the sound of the bathroom door opening.  He smiled at Adam, the way his eyes lingered on Adam’s exposed skin not going unnoticed.  He cleared his throat, and put the guitar down at his side.  “I’m ready when you are.”

“Give me about ten minutes,”  Adam said, gathering his clothes and heading back to the bathroom to get dressed.  

Ten minutes was more like twenty.  Even so, twenty minutes was pretty good turnover for Adam.  Maybe he was a pretty boy as Tommy had called him. Laughing at himself, he gathered his wallet and keys, and slipped his arms into his jacket, while motioning for Tommy to follow as he passed.  They left the dorm and headed for the parking garage.  Adam rarely used his car.  Everything on campus was within walking distance. No cars were ever needed,  only when going off campus, which he only did on occasion.  He hit the button to unlock the doors.  Being a gentleman, he opened the door for Tommy before rounding the front of the car and sliding himself down into the seat.  He started the engine as Tommy whistled and situated himself.

“Nice wheels.”

“It was my dad’s.  He was a bit of a car junkie.”

“I’d say.  What year is this?”

“1965.”

For Adam’s eighteenth birthday, his dad had surprised him with a set of keys.  Running to the garage, he looked anxiously for the car they had belonged to.  He quickly became disappointed when all he saw was his father’s 1965 Mustang fastback.  It was his father’s pride and joy.  He’d spent years restoring it into the beautiful silver and black piece of art it had become.  Imagine Adam’s astonishment when his father smiled and said “Happy birthday, kiddo.”

Tommy whistled his approval again, and settle down into the leather seat.  “So where to, boss?”

Adam took a moment to think, then smiled brilliantly.  “Wherever we want.”

~ ~ ~ ~

They ended up two and a half hours away from the campus, at an amusement park.  Adam had been driving, enjoying Tommy’s company and idle chit chat.  He would have been content driving forever if it weren’t for Tommy grabbing onto his shoulder and yanking at the fabric of Adam’s shirt.  “There.  We should go there.”

Adam looked out in the distance and saw the outline of a tall rollercoaster.  As they got closer, more rides came into view.  “You want to go there? It’s freezing out.”

“Sure.  Why not?  I haven’t been to an amusement park since I was in third grade. And it’s not that cold.”

“You’re kidding?”  The past few days had been unseasonably cold for the area.  However, the temperature was back to normal at a cool fifty-three degrees.

“Nope.”

Adam grinned his approval.  “Ok.  Let’s do it.”

The car came to a stop, and both Adam and Tommy got out.  They stood in front of the car, leaning against the hood, looking up at the rides that loomed in the sky. The park was set to open any minute, and the parking lot was filling steadily around them.  The look of wonder on Tommy’s face twisted in Adam’s stomach.  He loved that look.  He wanted to keep it on Tommy’s face always, and loved that he was the one helping put it there.  Smiling up at the sky, Adam reached out and grabbed Tommy by the wrist.   Hand in gloved hand, Adam pulled Tommy in the direction of the park entrance.

****  
  



	11. Chapter 11

“Tommy, slow down.  Please, I can’t keep up,”  Adam said, trailing a good two feet behind Tommy as they approached the entrance of yet another ride.  They’d spent the past five hours riding every ride they’d come in contact with since the front gate. Currently they were heading to a ride called The Terror Drop.  In front of Adam stood two hundred plus feet of steel and cables.  He’d been on one of these before.  The tower either catapulting you to the sky, or slowly ascending to the top for a 3 second freefall that sent your stomach into your throat. This one appeared to do both.  As they approached the entrance, Tommy came to a grinding halt.  “Thank you.  Ya know, those little legs can really move fast.”

Tommy turned around, and the look on his face got Adam’s attention.  Tommy almost looked scared.  “What’s wrong, Tommy?”

Looking down at his feet, Tommy said, “Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t.”

Still looking at his feet, Tommy kicked a nonexistent pebble.  He didn’t look up at Adam, the embarrassment drawn into his soft features.  “I’m, ugh, kinda scared of heights.”

Adam was taken aback slightly.  They’d just ridden at least a half a dozen roller coaster that were taller than this ride.  However, the look of embarrassment and slight panic that was in the line of Tommy’s jaw made Adam’s heart dissolve into mush.  “We don’t have to ride this one.”

Tommy head shot up.  “No!  I want to.  I really do.  It’s just,”  Tommy stopped mid sentence, looking into Adam’s sympathetic blue eyes.  He exhaled softly before continuing.  “I’ve never been able to ride this type of ride before.  The idea of being sling shot into the sky freaks me the fuck out.  The idea of sitting at the top of that tower and waiting to plummet back to the ground is even worse.”

Adam reached out and placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder, giving it a light, reassuring squeeze.  “Really, Tommy.  We don-”

“Yes, we do.”  Tommy took a moment to contemplate what he wanted to say next.  Adam got the feeling it was going to be something monumental in terms of Tommy’s emotional growth that has been steadily on the increase since Adam’s release from the hospital.  “It’s just that I have always been afraid of certain situations, heights being one of them.  But since I met you, I feel like I can conquer them, ya know?”

Pride swelled in Adam’s chest.  Even though it was just yesterday that Adam realized that he’d fallen in love with the man standing in front of him, he just fell a little farther.  “Wow, that was like the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.”

Tommy looked pleased.  “Don’t let it go to your head too much.”  Tommy then turned, took a deep cleansing breath, and breached the entrance to The Terror Drop.

It wasn’t until they were strapped in and lightly bobbing in the wind two hundred feet above the ground that Tommy began to second guess his courage.  His face had turned a whitish gray, and he sorta looked like he was about to vomit.  “I think I may have overestimated my level of fear.”

Adam tried to convey his sympathy and encourage Tommy in the brief moments before their freefall back down to earth began.  “Breathe, Tommy.  Just breathe.  It’ll be okay.”

“Not if we die.”

Adam had to chuckle to himself.  “We’re not going to die, Tommy.”

“You don’t know that.”

Adam reached out.  “Here squeeze my hand.  It’ll help.”

Tommy looked unconvinced but reluctantly grabbed hold of Adam’s extended hand.  Tommy no more than got his fingers around Adam’s palm before the latch released, and they plunged toward the ground.  Tommy let out a blood curdling, rattling scream that Adam could hear over the loud hum of air and grinding gears.  Adam smiled and laughed for his own enjoyment, but squeezed Tommy’s hand as hard as he could to convey that he was also aware of Tommy’s distress.  

The ride stopped as abruptly as it’d begun.  Tommy was breathing erratically, almost on the verge of panic.  Once released from the safety restraints, Adam jumped down from his seat and stopped in front of Tommy.  Tommy was somewhat in a state of shock and was having difficulty coming out of it.  Adam laced his arm around Tommy’s shoulders and helped him off the ride.  They walked that way, Tommy’s shoulders encased in Adam’s semicircular embrace until they exited the ride entirely.  Once back out into the open, Adam released Tommy and turned so they were facing each other.  “You alright, Tommy?”

Tommy stared out at nothing for a few moments, his breathing still a bit out of whack, but slowly coming back to normal.  As his breaths evened, he slid his gaze up to Adam.  “I did it.”

“You did.”

“Now I never have to do it again.”

Adam grinned at Tommy, and Tommy let out a quiet laugh.

“I’m glad you did it with me,” Adam said softly, realizing immediately how his wording sounded and adding, “getting over your fear, I mean.”

“Not over it.  I’m glad I did it, though.  And I’m glad it was you who helped.”

Adam was no longer grinning.  He was beaming.

~ ~ ~

****  
  


After a few more roller coasters, a twirling ride that left both men needing a minute to restore their balance, and a relaxing spin on the ferris wheel, Adam and Tommy were ready to move on.  It was still early, but with an almost three hour drive home, if they didn’t leave they would miss out on the remaining daylight.  Adam didn’t want the day to end, and he knew if they spent the rest of their time at the amusement park, they would both be too tired to do anything else.  So they were back on the road, driving in the direction of the University but keeping their eyes peeled for possible stops along the way.  Adam had chosen a different route to take, so the potential for stops was greater.

About half an hour into their drive, Adam spotted a music store.  He thought Tommy would love it, even if it was just some window shopping, so he pulled in.  They spent an hour inside.  Tommy played around with the different guitars, and Adam sang along to the melodies that he was familiar with.  They sounded good together.  Adam definitely needed to make more of an effort to spend time nurturing both Tommy and his talents.

Back on the road, dusk was beginning to set in.  Tommy sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window with a content look on his face.  Adam studied Tommy’s face out of the corner of his eye.  He liked what he saw.  He wanted Tommy to look like that always.  He wanted Tommy to feel like he had been feeling all day, all the time.  No more anger, no more sadness, just happiness belonged on Tommy’s beautiful face.

Adam pulled the care over to the side of the road and killed the engine.  “Come on. Lets go.”

“Go where, exactly?”

Adam pointed out into the middle of a grassy field.  “There.”  He opened his door, getting out and moving to the trunk.  He pulled out a blanket and two bottles of water.

Looking skeptical, Tommy took the offered water and followed Adam as he began walking into the field.  They walked slowly, not knowing if there were holes or rocks littering the landscape.  The field looked like an abandoned piece of farmland, but that didn’t mean the ground was soft and level.  Once satisfied with a location, Adam opened up the blanket and placed it on the ground.  He sat down with his legs crossed in front of him, motioning for Tommy to join.

“What are we doing out here, Adam?”  Tommy asked, coming down to the ground and resting on his knees.

“We are going to stargaze.”  

“Stargaze?”

“Yes, stargaze.  There are too many lights back home.  You’d never see the whole sky.  I’m going to teach you some astronomy.”  Adam looked smug, and comically sure of himself.

“You know astronomy?”  Tommy asked with a raised brow.

Adam’s grin grew brighter.  “Of course I do.  At least one semester’s worth.”

Tommy looked up at the sky, which was steadily darkening.  There were a few visible stars, but not yet enough to see any constellations.  He pointed at a star.  “I know that one.  That’s the north star.  At least I think.”

Adam followed Tommy’s projectory with his eyes.  “I think you’re right.”  Adam looked up at the heavens, studying intently.  When his eyes landed on what he was looking for he pointed at the sky.  “You see that cluster of stars right there?”

Tommy looked in the direction that Adam was pointing, squinting as if that would help.  “That triangle, there?”  

“Yep.  That’s Libra. Constellation of balance.”

Tommy looked at the stars.  “That’s pretty cool.”

“And there,”  Adam said, pointing in a different direction.  “That’s Aquarius.”

Aquarius had many more stars involved, and it took several minutes of searching with Adam’s guided words to locate.  “What does the Aquarius mean?”  Tommy asked.

“It is the water bearer.”

Tommy looked confused for a half second and then Adam saw understanding dawn as clicked in his head.  “Like the zodiacs?  Are all the zodiacs constellations.”

Adam smiled.  He had a small fascination with astrology and ancient folklore.  It’s part of what made stargazing so much fun. “Yes.  See, there’s Capricorn.”

They spent quite a bit of time going through all the zodiac constellations that Adam could find.  There were so many stars by this time, that the sheer abundance of them made it difficult to locate some of the smaller constellations. By the time they had gone through half a dozen, Adam and Tommy both were on their backs, fingers pointing to the sky.

“Next are the fun ones.  Look there,”  Adam said, again pointing upward. “Do you see that figuration? The one that kind of zigzags?”

Tommy took a moment to locate it, before humming his agreement.  

“That’s Cassiopeia.  The story goes that she was cast out into the stars for boasting about the beauty of her daughter and herself.  Her daughter, Andromeda, is right there.”  Adam pointed off the the side.  “And there is Perseus, Andromeda’s husband.  Mythology says that he slayed Medusa and used her head to turn Cetus into stone, in turn rescuing Andromeda.”

Tommy gazed at the stars as Adam told the tales of ancient mythology that went with each of the constellations.  He knew the stories from the his education, but in all honesty, he never really paid attention to the stories.  They had never interested him.  He just memorized the text, was tested on it, and went on to the next lesson.  But here, in the middle of a field, hearing the same stories while seeing them etched in the sky, brought an entirely different perspective.

“That’s pretty fascinating.  I never really paid much attention to all this in school.”

Adam turned his head toward Tommy and grinned.  “Do I actually know something Mr. Genius doesn’t?”

“Ya know, just because I have a high IQ doesn’t mean I know everything.  I have to actually like what I’m learning to absorb it in any permanent fashion.”

“You mean you like math and chemistry and all those numbers, but you don’t like fascinating stories?”  Adam playfully looked perplexed.

Tommy sat up and slapped Adam on the shoulder.  “I happen to like science and math.  History was always kinda boring to me.  All it took was memorization, not a lot of thought process.”

“So I’m boring?”  Adam asked, still being playful and not serious at all.

Silence ensued and encased the men in the eerily dark night.  Something unspoken was passing through the two of them.  Adam wasn’t completely sure what it was, but it felt electric, like a static shock in the dry air.  He felt the zing as it made its way through his being.  Tommy must have felt it too, because he looked down at Adam.  Through the dark, Adam felt Tommy’s gaze penetrating his body, down to the edge of this soul.

“You are anything but boring, Adam.  Because of you and this moment, I’m fascinated.”  

Adam breath caught in his throat.  Between the solid lock of Tommy’s eyes with his, and the words that had come from Tommy’s mouth, Adam felt like he couldn’t breathe.  He didn’t want to breathe unless it was in harmony with every breath escaping Tommy’s lips.  Before he had a chance to filter it through his brain, the words were coming out of his mouth.  

“Go on a date with me.”

Whatever hold Tommy had in Adam’s eyes was broken almost immediately.  Adam instantly felt Tommy recoil, retreating back into his comfort zone, which was at least an arms length away from anyone and anything.  “Adam, I-”

“Don’t say no.”  Adam exhaled, steadying himself for what he was about to say.  “I know you’re scared, Tommy, but don’t say no.  I know you can feel this...this thing between us.  You don’t have to be afraid of it.”

Tommy looked forlorn.  “Adam, I like you.  I really do, but you know we can’t go down that road.  I can’t...”

Adam felt both elated and sad at the same time.  He was overjoyed that Tommy had just admitted that he had feelings for him without hesitation, but at the same time, his heart broke.  He knew exactly what Tommy was saying, and it cut him in two.

Adam sat up and took Tommy’s hand in his own.  He brushed his thumb along the ridges of Tommy’s knuckles, soft and gently.  Adam didn’t miss Tommy’s quiet intake of breath at the delicate touch.  “You don’t have to answer me now, but think about it, okay?  You don’t have to be afraid, and we could be good together.  Hell, we already are.”

With those words, Adam lifted Tommy’s hand to his lips and kissed the gloved surface.  His stomach was turning with dread and anticipation.  The small smile that graced Tommy’s face confirmed what Adam had expected.  His feelings were not one-sided.  He just hoped with all hope that Tommy accepted his offer, and Adam would ultimately be able to show Tommy what life without gloves could be like.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Three weeks had passed since Adam asked Tommy to go on a date.  Three weeks had passed since Tommy had spoken to Adam outside of the classroom.  With the exception of Chemistry and Abilities, Tommy was a ghost.  They no longer left for classes together.  Tommy was always gone before Adam woke.  He stayed gone until Adam fell asleep.  During class, Tommy only spoke to Adam if spoken to directly, and only if it pertained to the class.  Whenever Adam mentioned something personal, or even just small talk, Tommy would shut down and tell Adam “not now.”

Adam knew that he’d freaked Tommy out when he’d asked for a date.  He didn’t know that it would cause Tommy to withdraw completely, to the point it didn’t even feel like they were friends anymore.  It hurt, worse than Adam had expected, but he understood that Tommy needed time.  Adam loved Tommy, even through the heartache of not seeing or talking to him.  He had no choice but to give Tommy the space that he needed.  

He could very well have spent the past weeks pouting and feeling sorry for himself. He wanted to, but instead, Adam spent every possible free moment in the lab with Mr. Damel.  They’d pinpointed the toxins that Tommy’s skin carried, but finding a combination of anecdotes to counteract the toxins was proving to be fruitless.  They’d tried so many combinations, it felt like there was nothing left to test.  It only made Adam more frustrated and more heartbroken.  Tommy deserved happiness.  He deserved to be free.  Adam wouldn’t give up.

Currently sitting in the library with his head in a book, Adam was trying to find other ways to break Tommy’s misfortune.  He studied the different types of toxins, their antagonists, and all the ways people have survived exposure without the necessary counteractants to nullify the poisons. So far he was getting nowhere.  He sighed and set the book aside to give his eyes a break.  

The door at the back entrance of the library opened.  It had opened at least a dozen times in the past hour, but Adam hadn’t payed any attention.  This time was different.  It was like an electric pull had his head following the sound.  His eyes locked with Tommy’s.  Tommy smiled weakly and proceeded to walk away from Adam as fast as he could.   Adam’s brow furrowed.  This was ridiculous.  Just because he’d asked Tommy on a date didn’t mean they needed to avoid each other. He growled under his breath and went back to reading his book.

“Hey.”  The familiar voice startled Adam out of his determined trance.  He’d been so focused on the book in front of him that he hadn’t heard Tommy approach.

He turned and looked up at the boy he’d been missing with every cell in his body.  “Hey,”  he answered back softly.

Tommy scooted the legs of the chair out from under the table and sat next to Adam.  He situated himself before looking up at Adam with apprehension on his face.  Not wasting any time, he got to the point.  “I have an answer for you.”

“Oh.”  Adam hadn’t been expecting that.  He wasn’t sure what he expected, awkward small talk maybe, but not that.  Adam cleared his throat, but his words still were broken and high pitched like a damn pubescent.  “What...what’s your answer?”

Tommy took a deep breath and exhaled slow and steady.  Adam really didn’t like the sound of that breath, but he kept the fingers in his mind crossed that Tommy’s deep, centering breath wasn’t for delivering bad news.

“I’ve thought a lot about your question.”  Tommy chuckled lightly under his breath.  “Well, technically it wasn’t a question, but I’ve thought about it all the same.”

Adam smiled.  Tommy was right; he hadn’t asked.  More like blurting out a delicate demand.  

Tommy continued.  “I thought my world was over after what I did to Erik.  I didn’t want to live anymore, so I just existed.  I kept everyone away by being a hateful asshole, but then you came along.  You weren’t put off by my dickhead ways.  You kept pushing.  Then it happened again.”

The heartbreak on Tommy’s face was thick and heavy.  Adam knew that kind of heartbreak.  He’d experienced it when his family died.  Unlike Tommy, he’d only gone through it once.  Tommy suffered through not only killing his boyfriend, but thinking he’d killed Adam as well.  Adam reached across the table and took Tommy’s gloved hand into his for reassurance and comfort.  “That was all my fault.”

“It wasn’t your fault.  Anyway, I watched you almost die.  It was the second time in less than a year that I’d unintentionally hurt someone I cared about.”

“You cared about me?”  Adam asked with a twinkle in his eyes.  He’d thought at that point in time that Tommy had hated him.

“Of course I did.  There’s not much about you that isn’t likable.  I just couldn’t bring myself to let you in.  I was mad and hurt and punishing myself for Erik’s death.  I didn’t feel like I deserved a friend.  I was so relieved when you woke up.  I thought you would hate me, just as much as I hated myself, but you didn’t.”

“I could never hate you, Tommy.”

“I know that,”  Tommy said, smiling at Adam as he gently drew circles across the expanse of Adam’s hand.  “It was like a switch.  I didn’t want to push you away anymore.  You were good for me.  I enjoyed every second we spent together, and I loved that you forced me out of my comfort zone.”  Tommy frowned.  “But then that night stargazing.  It all came crashing back.”

Adam understood.  By mentioning a date, all Tommy’s fears had come back.  “Are you afraid of hurting me again?  Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?  Tommy, you won’t hurt me again.  Last time was an accident.”

“But I will hurt you, Adam.  Maybe not physically, but emotionally it’s inevitable.”

“I want to be with you, Tommy.  If you want to be with me too, how could you possibly hurt me?”

Tommy lowered his head, almost as if in shame.  “Because I can’t be with you.”

And it all made sense.  The inability to have a physical relationship was what had been holding Tommy back.  “Tommy, I don’t need-”  Tommy cut Adam off mid thought.

“But you deserve it, and I can’t give it to you.”

“You’re giving it to me right now,”  Adam said, nodding his head in the direction of their entwined hands.

“It’s not the same.”

Adam pulled his hand out of Tommy’s grip and cupped Tommy’s face in his hands, being mindful to keep his skin in contact with Tommy’s hoody and not his skin.  “It’s a non issue.”

Bringing his hands up and curling his fingers around Adam’s forearms, Tommy spoke again.  “Let me finish?”

“Ok.”

“I spent the last three weeks trying to talk myself out of going on a date with you.   I like you, Adam.  Like I said, I really do.  I have so many reasons for not.  There are so many reasons this is a bad idea.  There are so many ways that a relationship would be unfair to you, because of the things I can’t give you.  But then I realized, why I was trying to talk myself out of it.  It wasn’t because of you.  It was because of me.  I was scared.”

Adam couldn’t control himself any longer.  Tommy’s confession was both heartbreaking and liberating.  He leaned in until his forehead was resting against Tommy’s covered skin.  “Please don’t be afraid, Tommy.”

Squeezing Adam’s arms a little tighter, Tommy said, “I’m not.”

“Good.”

Pulling their heads back, both boys smiled at one another.  It was a turning point in their relationship.  Tommy didn’t have to spell it out.  He was willing to give a relationship with Adam a try, and that’s all that mattered.  They would iron out the kinks and details as they went.

After several minutes of silent embrace, Tommy leaned back and cleared his throat.  “So, snakes.”

Adam looked down at the book in front of him.  He had been reading about venom when Tommy had approached him.  “Just getting some information for my exit project.”  He wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t truthful either.  

Tommy glanced down at the open pages.  “Did you know that people have been known to inject themselves with venom.”

Adam looked surprised.  “Why on earth would someone do that?”

“It’s been said that it builds up an immunity so a bite would no longer be deadly. There’s a man in Florida, I believe, that injected himself with cobra venom for a period of time.  He’s been bitten over a hundred times since, with only minor symptoms.”

With Tommy’s words, a light bulb went off in Adam’s mind.   Maybe they’d been going about it all wrong.  Maybe there was no way to get all three antagonists to work together.  But what if Adam could become immune to one?  Or all?  Tommy may have just helped solve his own dilemma without even knowing it.  Adam wanted to kiss the boy in appreciation.

“I have to go meet Mr. Damel.  Will I see you at the dorm tonight?”

“I was thinking somewhere more intimate?”  Tommy said shyly.

Adam just smiled from ear-to-ear.  “Best idea I’ve heard in weeks.”

“What time will you be done with Mr. Damel?”

Adam looked at his phone to see the time.  “An hour.  Maybe two.”

“Ok.  Meet me at the fountain in two hours.  Text me if you’ll be late.  I’ll wait for you.”

Adam smile couldn’t have grown any bigger.  He shoved his books into his bag and flung it over his shoulder.  He offered his hand to Tommy.  When Tommy took it, Adam pulled him to his feet, and wrapped his other arm around Tommy’s waist.  He pushed lightly at the small of Tommy’s back until their bodies were tenderly pressed together.  Adam then kissed Tommy’s cotton covered knuckles.  “Two hours.  I won’t be late.”

Adam released Tommy and quickly pivoted and left the library with a newfound determination.

~ ~ ~ ~

“Adam, I think you might just be onto something,”  Mr. Damel said as he was cleaning up from his last class of the day.  “Where did you get this information?”

“Tommy.”

“You told Tommy what we are doing?  I thought we wanted to keep him out of it just in case it was a bust.”

“I didn’t tell him anything.  He saw my book and just threw it out like a random fact.”

“So let me see here,”  Mr. Damel said as he looked through the notes that he had been keeping since they had started trying to find a way to help Tommy.  “According to my notes.  we have tried every combination of antagonists with no positive results.  Here’s what I’m thinking.  If we could build up an immunity to the toxins that resemble snake venom, and maybe even build up a tolerance to the opiate effect, maybe all we would have to do is counteract the cyanide like toxin.  It’s all a theory of course, but it could work.”

“You really think so?”  Adam asked with so much hope in his voice.

“I really do.  We’ll start with the rats.  If we get positive results, it’ll then be up to you to decide if you want to risk trying it on yourself.”

“You know I’ll do anything for Tommy.”

Mr. Damel looked at Adam with insightful eyes.  “You fell in love with him, didn’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?”  Adam asked sheepishly.

This professor just laughed.  “I know that look when I see it.  I see it on my wife’s face every day.”

Adam smiled.  “Can we start on this tomorrow.  I have a date.”

Still laughing, Mr. Damel said, “Run along, Adam.  Meet me back here tomorrow after your last class.”

“Bye, Mr. Damel.  And thank you.”

“Anytime, Adam.”

Waving as he turned to the door, Adam ran as fast as he could to the fountain, to his date, and to the boy who had captured his heart.

****  
  



	13. Chapter 13

Adam’s date with Tommy went better than he could have imagined.  They’d met at the fountain at precisely the two hour mark.  It was early evening, and they hadn’t planned anything out, so they decided on dinner first.  Tommy chose a small diner on campus that served good old American classics.  Tommy ordered a burger and fries.  Adam tried to order his usual salad, but after several minutes of bitching from Tommy about rabbit food and living a little, Adam settled on a tenderloin.  Tommy added a milkshake, much to Adam’s dismay.

Once the boys were finished with dinner, Tommy and a very full Adam decided to take a walk around campus.  It was still cold, and the crisp air gave Tommy a sweet red flush that Adam adored.  Adam also adored that Tommy didn’t flinch or pull away when he curled his gloved hand around Tommy’s fingers.

They walked hand-in-hand around UEG, taking in the beautiful landscape and architecture.  Tommy would give Adam insight into the various styles and decor as they passed.  The level of Tommy’s intelligence floored Adam at times.  He was used to the mathematical genius at this point, but Tommy’s mind was full of so much more than numbers.  Just because he was a genius didn’t mean that Tommy knew everything, as seen by his lack of knowledge in regards to the stars, but what he did know, he knew with such a brilliance that Adam was in awe every time Tommy opened his mouth.  Adam had no interest in architecture, but when Tommy explained it, the reasons why the designers used this texture or that shape, Adam listened in rapt silence.

It was still cold enough for the outdoor ice rink to be open, and when the boys approached it, Adam stopped.  Tommy was reluctant at first, but agreed to try to stand on the tiny blades, though he made no promises.  Adam reveled in the knowledge that Tommy was letting himself be pampered.  He let Adam lace up his skates, making sure they were tight and secure.  He let Adam escort him to the ice, and keep a protective arm around his waist as he tried to become comfortable in his balance.  He let Adam take care of him when he fell on his ass, and his knees, and elbow.  Tommy even let Adam pamper and baby him after he was diagnosed with a strained elbow at the student health center.

Despite the minor, ice induced injury, that Adam apologized for repeatedly for the next week, their date had been perfect.  They talked, laughed, held hands, and had fun together with no worry or concern.  Tommy seemed to realize quickly that Adam meant what he had said in the library.  He just wanted to be with Tommy.  In any way he could.

In between the first date, and the three that had occurred since, Adam had spent all his free time with Mr. Damel in the lab.  Mr. Damel had begun testing on the rats almost immediately and had been having some positive results.  He’d been injecting one rat with small amounts of Tommy’s venom-like toxin daily.  At first the rat would squeak loudly and convulse in what had to be pain at the bottom of his cage.  Adam felt bad for the rat.  It was hard to watch and made Adam feel physically ill.  He had to keep reminding himself that it was for a good cause.  It was for Tommy.  After the seven days, the rats reactions to the venom became less intense.  Adam and Mr. Damel had faith that the positive progression would continue over the coming days and weeks.

With another rat, they tested the opiate-like toxin.  The rat was given a very small amount daily, in hopes of building up a tolerance.  As for the isolated cyanide-type toxin, they were still working on that one.  The treatment that they were testing was only working about twenty-five percent of the time.  They needed one hundred percent recovery if this were ever going to work.  It had only been a week since the actual trials had started, but Adam was already frustrated and felt his hope waver.  He had to keep his faith.

As he was coming home from the lab late Saturday morning, Adam ran into Ashni as he was in line to get coffee.  He’d told her he would make more of an effort to hang out with her, but still hadn’t done it.  He felt like a horrible friend as soon as he saw her.  That feeling softened a bit when he saw a very tall, very familiar boy attached to her arm.  The boy was handsome in a rugged way, sandy brown hair just a bit too long at the ears, and hazel eyes that danced with flecks of green, brown, and blue.  Adam had never seen blue in hazel eyes before and thought it was rather lovely.  He tried to remember where he’d seen the boy before as Ashni approached.

“Hey, Adam,”  Ashni said with a cheery smile.

“Hey, baby girl.  What have you been up to?”

Ashni broke away from her companion and leaned forward into Adam.  He feminine arms wrapped around his waist, and she burrowed her head into his chest.  He wrapped his arms around her in return and kissed to top of her head.  He risked a glance at the boy standing behind her for any hint of jealousy, but there was none.  

“I missed you, Adam.  What have you been off doing?”

Disentangling the girl from his body, Adam looked down at Ashni and smiled.  “Exit project.”

She nodded in understanding. Stepping back in line with the boy, Ashni grabbed his hand and smiled up at Adam.  “Adam, this is Cain.  Cain, this is Adam.”

Adam reached out a hesitant hand for Cain to shake.  Adam waited for a strong, assertive handshake, one that would feel like Cain was staking his claim, but all Adam felt was a firm hand, with a warm smile.  “It’s nice to meet you, Cain.”

“Likewise.  Ashni has told me a lot about you,” Cain said, politely.

“All good things, I hope.”

“Of course. Unless you consider being described as a big brother a bad thing.”

Adam couldn’t help but smile.  He leaned towards Ashni and gave her a loving push on the shoulder.  “By this one?  Never.”

Ashni returned the light shoulder push, before returning her hand to Cain’s.  “Cain’s a junior.  He’s a science major.  You should actually know him.  You have a class together.”

Adam regarded Cain for a moment, trying to place what class he knew him from.  He was a junior, so he wasn’t in his abilities class.  Cain was a science major so it wouldn’t be Adam’s music history class.  That left english and chemistry.  Cain...Cain...water manipulator.  Adam remembered.  “You’re in my chemistry class.  Water, if I remember correctly.”

“Yes.  That’s right.”

“My father could manipulate water,”  Adam added, though he didn’t know why.  He’d never known that information until after his father had died.

“Cool.  So Ash tells me you’re fire.  Like literally fire.  I have an aunt who can manipulate fire.  Ya know, cause it to go out, or light some flames, but not be the flames herself.  That’s pretty amazing.”

Adam smiled sadly.  He supposed from the outside it would look amazing.  Adam knew differently.  It was, in fact, not amazing.  It was deadly, and he’d learned that the hard way.  “I try to make the best of it.”

Sensing the unease flowing from Adam, Cain nodded his head and turned to Ashni.  “I’m going to the restroom.  Would you order me a black with two sugars if I’m not back before you make it up there?”

“Sure, babe,”  Ashni said, rising up to her toes to kiss Cain chastly.  He turned and walked towards the bathroom.

Once out of earshot, Ashni pointed her gaze at Adam and asked, “So, what do you think?”

“I think he’s a bit old for you, but nice.”

“I’m an adult, Adam.”

“Barely.”

“Tommy’s only nineteen,”  Ashni retorted with a raised brow.

“Point taken,”  Adam conceded.  She was right.  Tommy was several years younger than Adam.  Who was he to judge? “How long have you been dating?”

Smiling like a girl with a crush that she actually was, Ashni said,  “This is date number three.  I like him so much.  My last relationship was so disastrous because of what I am.  It’s so nice to be with someone who understands.”

Adam grinned down at Ashni with love and tenderness.  “I’m happy for you, Ashni.  You deserve to be happy.”

“So do you, Adam.  Speaking of which, how is Tommy?”

Now Adam couldn’t keep the smile off his face.  Talking about Tommy always brought out his teeth.  “He’s great.  We’re great.”

Ashni didn’t miss the intended message.  “Wow.  How long?”

“Officially, a couple of weeks.  It feels like so much longer than that, though.”

“Of course it does.  You’ve been connected at the hip since you left the hospital.  You might’ve made it official a couple weeks ago, but you’ve been together for quite a while.”

She was right.  Even though they didn’t have a label, or voiced the parameters of their relationship, they’d been together the whole time.  The thought made Adam’s heart flutter.  

Adam heard his name.  He turned to the counter where Eva was asking him a question.  He apologized for not paying attention and listened as she repeated her question.  The usual.  Yes he would order the usual.  Eva smiled, and went about fixing his order, as well as Ashni’s at the other side of the counter.  Once finished, he paid for his coffee, and Ashni and Cain’s as well, and said his goodbyes.

It was barely noon when Adam got back to the dorm.  Tommy, as usual, was sitting on his bed, strumming his guitar.  Seeing Tommy sitting there, his legs crossed at the ankles, eyes closed and fingers caressing strings, was Adam’s favorite site.  Tommy at peace was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Handing Tommy his coffee, Adam leaned down and kissed Tommy’s shoulder.  He wanted nothing more than to kiss those pouty lips, but he’d take what he could get.  Adam was an affectionate person, and made a point to show Tommy all the ways that he could be affectionate without putting himself in harms way.  They held hands, hugged, Adam would kiss Tommy in places that were safe, but his favorite thing to do was cuddle.  Tommy was hesitant at first, but after some reassuring coaxing, he allowed Adam to pull him into the his larger body and hold him as they watched a movie on Adam’s bed with Tommy’s laptop.  They’d even fallen asleep together on two separate occasions.

“Thanks,”  Tommy said, reaching to take his proffered cup.  “The usual?”

“Yep.”

“Lame.”

Adam laughed.  He loved Tommy so damn much, it hurt in a good way.  “So.  What are your plans for the day?”

Tommy took a sip of his coffee and hummed his approval as he swallowed.  It was one of the most erotic things Adam had seen.  “I don’t have anything planned, but I thought about going around campus and looking for a job.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  I’m fucking bored all the time.  You work on your exit project a lot, and when you’re not here I just sit around and do nothing.  I can only play my guitar in an empty room so much before I start to question my sanity.”

Adam frowned.  “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.  Your education is important.  It’s not like we don’t see each other.  We hang out a lot.  It’s just that I rarely have enough to keep me busy with actual school work.  I need something to do.”

That made sense.  Adam had sat and done homework with Tommy before.  With the exception of reading assignments, Tommy never spent longer than a half hour a day on school work.  Adam would watch in amazement when Tommy worked on mathematical assignments.  He didn’t even have to work through the questions.  He did it all in his head.  Adam would think it impossible, if he hadn’t seen the perfect scores on every assignment.

“Can I go with you?”

Tommy smiled brightly.  “Of course.  I would have dragged you along, even if you didn’t want to.”

Adam chuckled and grabbed Tommy’s jacket from the closet.  “Let’s go, then.”  He handed Tommy the jacket, and exited the building into the crisp air.

****  
  


Two hours later, they were back at the dorm, and Tommy had a pile of applications in his hands.  There were applications from all different avenues of service.  Food service, customer service, mechanical service: Tommy was an equal opportunity job seeker.  All the businesses on campus were staffed primarily by students, with the exception of management.  Some students worked as a way to pay off their tuition, some worked for money, and some, like Tommy, worked just to pass the time.  It would be a good experience for Tommy.  He still had to work his way out of his shell for the rest of the world, not just Adam.

After filling out all the applications, the boys ventured back out to return them.  Three hours later, their bellies were full of Thai food, and Tommy was the new employee at the campus music store.  It fit.  Tommy would be selling CDs, vinyls, and instruments to the masses.  Now Adam didn’t have to feel guilty about the time he spent away from Tommy, and it would be easier to keep the truth of what he was really doing under wraps until the day he could give Tommy the greatest news of his life.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Two months had passed since Adam’s first date with Tommy, and they were two months of falling farther and faster with each passing day.  They were like any other normal couple.  They spent countless hours together.  They went to the movies, romantic dinners, and of course the random and spontaneous adventures, as well.  There had been a huge snow just over the state line one weekend, and Adam had surprised Tommy with a road trip.  He refused to tell the inquisitive young man where they were going until Adam pulled the car up to a ski resort.  There were no classes on Monday, so the boys enjoyed and entire weekend attempting to learn to ski.  Tommy even had the enjoyment of watching Adam melt a very large hole through the snow after getting pissed off at his inability to stay on his feet.

The weekend had been wonderful.  It was everything Adam had always wanted from a weekend adventure with a lover.  For Tommy, though he enjoyed himself, it brought to the surface all the things that he couldn’t do.  Adam tried to reassure Tommy that sex wasn’t important.  Adam was perfectly content with the amount of affection they were able to show one another.  This only saddened Tommy more.  He wanted Adam to be blissfully, ridiculously happy, and that would never happen if they couldn’t have a physical relationship.

It saddened Adam to see Tommy so pessimistic about their relationship.  Adam had to admit to himself that having a physical connection was important, but not the most important thing to keep a relationship happy and moving forward.  Looking into Tommy’s sorrow-filled brown eyes every time the elephant in the room raised it’s heavy head made Adam all that much more determined to take that sadness away.  

He’d spent hours upon hours in the lab with Mr. Damel.  Since the venture of finding a cure for Tommy began, Adam and Mr. Damel had made vast improvements with the lab rats.  The rats with the injections of snake venom had stopped reacting to the initial amount of exposure. At the beginning, when injected with the venom, the rats would convulse at the bottom of the cages.  Now, all the rats did was squeak with the initial prick of the needle, and then went on about in their cage as if nothing had happened.  Mr. Damel felt confident enough with the results, he began giving larger doses of venom at the beginning of the week.  So far the results had been the same as the first time.  The rats convulsed with the higher dose, but the recovery time had been much quicker.

The rats that had been given the opiate-like toxin were faring just as well.  After the several weeks of testing, the rats were able to handle levels twice the normal amount for their size without any of the adverse respiratory responses or drowsiness.  The only problem that had come up with this particular testing was addiction.  Though it was hard to see any possible addictive traits in the rats, Adam and Mr. Damel both knew that the risk of Adam becoming addicted to the opiate was not only a possibility, but very probable.  When the time came to build up Adam’s tolerance, they would have to be very exact and meticulous in order to keep the physical need in check. Many people take opiates long term and don’t become drug abusers, so Mr. Damel had faith that with the slow continual exposure, Adam would be all right.

As for the last compound of Tommy’s toxin, Mr. Damel had still been having issues.  Progress had been slow.  The rats were still not reacting as hoped with the cyanide antidote.  The results were only showing a forty-five percent success rate.  Again, since the cyanide-type toxin was the most dangerous of Tommy’s makeup, Adam had to have a complete success rate before Mr. Damel would even consider experimenting with Adam’s life. The school administration, although on board with the idea of Adam’s project, would never allow for testing on a human.  That part was intentionally left out, and could not only get Mr. Damel fired, but Adam expelled as well.

All in all, the results had been positive, more so than Adam had thought they would be.  With that, Adam and Mr. Damel decided that they would give it until the beginning of spring, which was about a month away, before Adam began to undergo his portion of the process.  He would begin with the snake venom.  He wasn’t looking forward to how painful the initial days would be, but he hoped the effect would be the same as it had been on the rats.

In between being at the lab, Adam divided his time between being with Tommy and hanging out with Ashni.  He’d been a horrible friend by his standards by not making time for his friend.  For her part, Ashni never complained and was genuinely happy for Adam and happy to hang out with her best friend.

Ashni’s relationship with Cain had also blossomed into the real deal.  She and Cain had even been out on several double dates with Adam and Tommy.  Adam was hesitant at first, given Tommy’s reputation with the rest of the student body, but after the initial awkward night, everyone got along great.  Tommy and Cain had actually become friends.  Adam was deliriously happy for everyone.  He loved that Tommy was coming out of his shell more and more with every passing day, and he was happy that Ashni had found someone who accepted her and loved her as unconditionally as he, himself, did.

Everything and everyone in Adam’s world seemed to be falling into place.  After his parents died, Adam had never really thought about the future.  Now with Tommy in his life, all he did was think about the future and the life he wanted, all of which revolved around Tommy.

~ ~ ~

“Oh, my god.  That was so much fun!”  Tommy exclaimed, tossing his guitar case onto his unmade bed.  “I’ve played in front of people before, but that was so much...I can’t even describe it.”

Adam smiled from ear-to-ear.  They’d just gotten home from Tommy’s open mike night at the music store.  The week before, the manager had asked Tommy what he thought would get more students through the doors and purchasing the good old fashioned kinds of music.  Living in an age of MP3’s and iTunes, not many people still bought hard copies of their favorite songs.  There were the collectors, the old-fashioned crowd, and the students who primarily used downloads, but bought the hard copies of their favorites.  The store used to be a cafe, so there was a whole section that had been used only for storage.  Tommy had suggested they transform the area into a stage and start having open mike once a week to bring in a crowd.  That would get more people into the store, and hopefully they would leave with new music as well.

After a solid week of cleaning up and redecorating the abandoned space, the store had been ready.  Adam had volunteered to pass out flyers to the students and facility.  When the time had come, the store had been full, with Tommy on the tiny stage.  He’d played his guitar for the people.  His fingers strumming along the strings had sounded like the soft melodic beat of an angel’s wings.  When Tommy played, he got lost in the music, and by the time he’d finished, the mass of bodies had been lost along with him.  By the end of the night, sales had doubled, and three students had volunteered to perform for the next open mike.

“You were great, Tommy!  Everyone loved you!”  Adam came up behind Tommy, wrapping his arms around Tommy’s thin waist.  He squeezed tightly, illustrating to Tommy how proud he was of his boyfriend.  

“I have to do that again.”  Tommy spun around in Adam’s arms, bringing his arms up to snake around Adam’s neck.  “I have a request though.”

“Anything,”  Adam countered.

“Sing with me.”

Adam looked down into Tommy’s hopeful eyes.  When Tommy looked at Adam in that way, he wouldn’t have been able to say no, even if he’d wanted to. “I’d be honored.”

Tommy beamed.  That smile could illuminate an entire city block with its brightness.  If Adam could do anything to keep that smile permanently implanted on Tommy’s delicate face, he would do it.  

Those soft brown eyes cut through the center of Adam’s heart.  In the months they’d been together, each time Tommy had looked deep into Adam’s eyes, he would cut Adam’s heart open, fill it with all the sweet, lovely things Tommy had inside himself, and sewed Adam back together.  He just kept stuffing Adam’s heart with so much love that Adam swore it would rupture. Before he knew what he was doing, Adam bent down to kiss Tommy on the mouth.  As he swooped in, Tommy pulled back, a look of shock and pain flashing across his face.

Adam immediately realized what he’d done, and went into defense mode.  It was not the first time he’d gotten caught up in a moment and forgotten.  Tommy never did.  He instantly started pulling away emotionally, and tried listing all the reasons why their relationship was a bad idea and would only leave Adam alone and with a broken heart.  Adam would then have to rebut with all the reasons the relationship wasn’t doomed and that just because he got carried away sometimes didn’t mean that he needed the physical contact to be happy.  

“We can’t do this anymore, Adam.  It’s not fair to you.”

Tommy, please.  You know I don’t think that way.”

“Maybe not now, but you will.  And when you do, you’ll resent it.  You’ll resent me.”

“I would never resent you,”  Adam said, sincerity laced into every word.

“Yes, yes you will,”  Tommy whispered.

Adam lifted both his hands and cupped Tommy’s jaw.  He had gotten into the habit of wearing thin cotton gloves himself, so he was able to touch Tommy’s face as much as he wanted.  Both hands firmly on both sides of Tommy’s face, Adam rubbed each cheek with his thumbs, and forced Tommy to look into his eyes.  “Listen to me, Tommy.  I will never, never resent you.”

“Adam, plea-”  Tommy was cut off before he was able to finish his attempted plea.

“I love you.”  It was out of Adam’s mouth before Adam registered that he did in fact just tell Tommy the words he’d been saying to himself for so long.  The shock must have been written all over his face, because Tommy quickly pulled out of Adam’s embrace with his own equal dazed look on his features.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean...I shouldn’t have said-”

“I love you too.”  This time Adam was the one being cut off.  Tommy’s words wormed their way into Adam’s ears.  It took a few seconds for Adam to assimilate what Tommy had said, but once he did, he grabbed Tommy up into his arms and spun him around like an excited teenager.

“I love you.  I love you.  I love you,”  Adam said again and again as he peppered kisses to every safe place along Tommy’s body.  He was so happy in that moment that he didn’t register the stiffening of Tommy’s body.  Once he did, he pulled away and questioned Tommy with his eyes.  “What?  What is it, Tommy?”

Letting out a long, slow breath, Tommy answered.  “I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to hear you say that.  Honestly, I didn’t think I ever would.”

“How could you-”  

“Let me finish.  You’ve been so patient with me.  So understanding.  I see how frustrated you get when you forget that you can’t kiss me.  I really thought that you’d have been done with me by now.”

“I’ll never be done with you.”

Tommy sighed and enveloped Adam with his arms and rested his chin against Adam’s chest, enabling Tommy to look up into Adam’s eyes.  “I know that now.  I love you, Adam.”  

Those brown eyes held Adam’s blue eyes captive.  How had he found this beautiful creature?  How was he so lucky to have found this perfectly flawed boy that made his heart flutter and showed Adam that he deserved to be happy, even after everything he’d done to his family.  He was afraid before he’d met Tommy, but it wasn’t until that moment, when he confessed his feelings to Tommy, that he’d realized it.   And with that realization came an idea.

“Do you trust me, Tommy?”  Adam asked, eliciting an inquisitive look from Tommy.

“Of course I do.”

“I have an idea.”  Adam kissed Tommy on the top of his hood-covered head, and disentangled himself from Tommy’s limbs.  “I’ll be right back.”

Adam left the dorm room, leaving Tommy standing in the middle of the room scratching his head.  He trusted Adam, but the change in direction from their deep conversation had Tommy a little nervous.  He tried to shake the feeling out of his mind while he waited for Adam.  He sat on his bed and waited.

He didn’t have to wait long.  Adam came through the door just minutes later carrying a brown paper bag.  

“What’s that?”  Tommy asked, truly curious to what was so important, Adam had to run out in the middle of the night.  

“I needed to get something from the RA.  I have something in mind.”

“That sounds menacing.”

“You said you trusted me.”

“I do.”  Tommy trusted Adam with his life.  That didn’t mean Adam’s impromptu ideas didn’t scare the shit out of him.  He took the bag from Adam’s hand and set it in this lap.  He hesitated for a moment and then opened the bag to reveal the contents.

“Just hear me out.”  Adam said, his voice begging Tommy to say yes to whatever was in the bag.

“I don’t know.”

Adam sat on the bed next to Tommy and lowered himself down onto Tommy as gently as he could.  He felt the stiffening of Tommy’s muscles and Adam lay down half on top of Tommy.  With one hand, Adam unzipped Tommy’s hoodie, and opened it up to reveal the T-shirt beneath.  He ran his fingertips up and down Tommy’s torso, eliciting a small whimper from Tommy’s throat.  “You say that I’ll be unhappy because I can’t have a physical relationship with you. But we can have a physical relationship, Tommy, and I’m going to show you.”

Without stopping for approval from Tommy, Adam lowered his hand down Tommy’s abdomen and came to rest on the zipper of his jeans.  He waited a breath to see if Tommy would contest Adam’s actions, but no voice came.  Instead, Tommy just stared into Adam’s eyes, drawing his courage and strength from Adam’s loving gaze. Slowly, Adam pulled the zipper down, unbuttoning the button with his gloved fingers.  Once opened up, Adam slid his hand inside and cupped Tommy.  The moan that came from Tommy’s throat was nothing short of the sexiest thing Adam had ever heard.

“We can make each other feel good, show each other our love without being afraid,”  Adam reassured as he rubbed Tommy’s hardening flesh.  “Will you let me show you?”

With no hesitation whatsoever, Tommy simply nodded his approval and kept his eyes glued to Adam.  His eyes never leaving Tommy, Adam released his grip on Tommy and grabbed for the paper bag.  He dumped the contents onto the bed beside Tommy’s leg.  As quickly as possible, Adam removed his cotton glove and replaced it with a blue exam glove.  He broke eye contact just long enough to verify the glove was on properly.  Picking up the container that was with the glove, Adam squirted a generous amount into the center of the glove.  

“Raise your hips, baby.”  

Tommy registered Adam’s quiet command, and dutifully raised his hips off the bed.  As he did so, Adam pulled his jeans and boxers down to his knees.  He was taken aback for the briefest of moments.  He’d known Tommy was beautiful, but he had no idea how much more beautiful he’d be laid bare for Adam to appreciate.  

With his most intimate areas exposed, Tommy rested his hips back down to the mattress.  He was trembling, both from chill and anticipation.  Adam lowered himself down next to Tommy, and looked him in the eyes.  “I’ve wanted to see you like this since the first time I saw you.”  

With his words, Adam grasped Tommy in his gloved and lubed hand.  He stroked gently, tentatively at first, gaging Tommy’s reaction.  Root to tip, his hand slid over Tommy’s hard and heated skin.  The movements caused Tommy to choke out a gasping breath, laced with the most erotic sounding groan Adam had ever heard.  At first, Tommy’s body was rigid with tension, but quickly relaxed.  Once Tommy was calm and comfortable with the newfound intimacy, Adam picked up his pace.  He stroked at a relatively slow pace but with a firm grip.  Each pull of his hand caused Tommy to either moan or whimper, and Adam was intoxicated by the sound. He felt himself growing harder and warmer by the minute.

“That’s it.  Enjoy it, baby.  You deserve to enjoy it.”  Adam lowered his head to rest nestled in Tommy’s neck.  He watched his hand move up and down Tommy, while he listened to the soft sounds coming from Tommy’s throat.  Every so often, Tommy would become louder, and his hips would come up off of the bed.  This just pushed Adam forward, determined to give Tommy the pleasure he deserved.

Feeling the muscles in Tommy’s legs begin to tighten, Adam looked up into Tommy’s tension-filled face.  Adam knew he was close.  It almost looked as if Tommy were fighting off his release.  “Hey,”  Adam cooed into Tommy’s ear.  “Open your eyes, Tommy.”

For a brief moment, Tommy opened his eyes and looked at Adam, before another wave of pleasure rippled through him, and on reflex Tommy shut them again.

“Open, Tommy.  Look at me.”  He opened his eyes again.  “Keep your eyes on me.  Don’t close them, and don’t look away.”

Tommy bore holes through Adam as Adam’s pace picked up.  He stroked long and steady, bringing Tommy to the edge of pleasure.  Right as he was about to topple over, Tommy closed his eyes again.

“No, Tommy.  Open.  I want to see it.”

Tommy locked his brown eyes to Adam’s blue as he lost his ability to think, and let the sensations take over his body.  He writhed underneath Adam’s ministrations as he shattered on the inside.  He let all his walls crash down, and allowed Adam to see him stripped down and vulnerable with each wave of pleasure that ripped through his being.

Through it all, Tommy never broke the connection the two held with their eyes.  Not through the mind-altering orgasm, not through the awkward silence that followed, Tommy didn’t break the connection until exhaustion took over, and he fell into a deep, restful sleep, curled up beside the man that no matter what happened, would never give up on Tommy, and would always make him feel safe.

****  
  
  



	15. Chapter 15

“I have a confession to make,”  Tommy said as he sipped his coffee.  Today he was drinking a white chocolate latte.  Since stepping outside his familiar, isolated box, Tommy had discovered many new likes, including specialty coffee.

Adam sat across the small table, sipping his own coffee.  They boys had woken up early after the very intimate, revealing night they’d shared together.  Not only had both boys confessed their feeling for the other, but they’d gone through a tender and hot experience together.  After Adam had shown Tommy that they could, in fact, have a physical relationship and Tommy’s well deserved nap, he’d insisted on reciprocating the gesture.  It was, in Adam’s opinion, the best night he’d ever had.

“Is it that you love me?  Because I already know, but I have no problem hearing it again.”  Adam smiled and reached across the table seeking Tommy’s hand.

Tommy took Adam’s hand and squeezed it gently.  He looked down at their joined hands for a moment as if he were gathering courage.  “That was the first time I’ve, uh, ever done that.”

Adam smiled.  He’d already figured that much out, but thought it was a very good thing for Tommy to admit.  Tommy had come so far, but he still had trouble expressing himself at times.  His confession was  another brave step in the right direction.

“Well then, I’m happy to be your first.”

Tommy blushed, but smiled back at Adam with love.

“So, what are our plans for the day?”  Adam asked.  He’d finished his coffee and noticed Tommy was almost done as well.  It was the weekend, and Mr. Damel had to attend a wedding, so Adam was free for the whole day.

“We could go back to our dorm,”  Tommy said bashfully, but with his motive loud and clear.

“I’ve created a monster, haven’t I?”

“A monster for you.”

Adam couldn’t keep the wide, teeth-baring smile off his face.  He was ridiculously happy with the boy in front of him.  “Let’s save that for later.  I don’t want you to develop an addiction.”

This made Tommy laugh.  They stood from the table, threw their cups away, and headed out into the chilly morning.  “We could go see a movie.”

“Is there anything good playing?”

“Probably not, but who said we’d be paying attention to the movie?”

“Oh my god, I did create a monster,”  Adam professed as they walked hand in hand in the direction of the theatre.

~ ~ ~  

The weekend had come and gone all too fast.  Adam and Tommy had a wonderful, crazy, and at times, sexy time together.  Now it was Monday, and Adam sat bored in his Music class.  For a college course, he wasn’t learning anything he hadn’t learned in high school.  Instead of paying attention to his professor going on about the importance of the classics, Adam was texting Tommy.

A:  This class is so boring!

T: Would you rather be in Calculus?

A:  Ok, it’s not that boring.

T:  Will I see you tonight?

A:  I have to work with Mr. Damel after my last class.  I can duck out early if you want.

T:  No, that’s okay.  I’ll just see you when you get home.

Home.  Adam was seeing visions of a home, not a dorm room.  In that home was a very happy couple, one that was able to kiss each other goodbye, one that was able to touch without a barrier, and one that was able to love freely with skin-to-skin contact.  He envisioned cuddling with Tommy on their giant bed while watching bad TV in their underwear.  Adam imagined sneaking into the shower with Tommy and having his wicked way with him, but what he visualized the most was just being with Tommy, always.  He may have been being presumptuous, but if this was what being in love with Tommy felt like, then Adam wanted it forever.

The professor dismissed class, but not before assigning a small research assignment.  Adam groaned to himself.  He hated the homework in this class.  If fact, he hated the class in general.  Yes, he was a music major, but why the hell did he have to know the history of classical music.  He wasn’t performing classical music.  He didn’t play an instrument.  He was the instrument.  String or wind arrangements had no significance to Adam.  He just wanted to sing.

Crossing campus felt like it took an eternity, but once inside the Chemistry lab, Adam was ready to work.  Mr. Damel was already there and tossing different liquids into a beaker.  He was lost in his work when Adam came in.  “Hey, Mr. Damel.”

Mr. Damel looked up from his beaker and smiled at Adam.  “Hi, Adam.  I’m so glad you’re here.  I have something to show you.”  Mr. Damel sat the beaker down and removed his safety goggles.  “I think I’ve found a way to counteract the cyanide effect and the opiate effect without worry of addiction.”

That sounded hopeful.  Adam perked up and took a seat on the stool next to his professor.  “What?”

Mr. Damel placed a paper that looked to have chicken scratches in front of Adam.  “I’ve been thinking about the opiate issue for a while.  The risk of addiction is too great.  I don’t feel comfortable giving them to you.  Not only that, but if you build up a tolerance, if for some reason you would need to take them for pain from a surgery or injury, they wouldn’t be effective.  So I thought, what would happen if we used the antagonist instead?  My initial thoughts were to just have it handy if needed, but now I’m thinking it might be the answer.”

Adam was curious.  They had discussed the antagonist at the beginning, but since it was short acting, it would have to be given with each individual exposure, and they’d decided it would only be effective for emergency situations. “How.”

“The rats are up to about sixty-five percent with the cyanide antagonist.  In the successful trials, the effects are lasting up to six hours. Theoretically, you would only have to inject yourself four times a day.  If we could add the opiate antagonist, you would have to inject yourself every single time you came into contact with Tommy.  That’s just not feasible.”

“Okay, so what’re your thoughts?”  Adam asked.  So far what Mr. Damel was saying sounded none too promising.

“What if we were able to apply it to the skin?  Like a barrier before exposure.  The toxins would come in contact with the antagonist as it seeped through the first layers of skin.  What if it were able to stop the opiate portion of the toxin from entering the body?”

A skin barrier.  It could work.  What else did they have to lose.  If it didn’t work, on to the next.  But a lotion?  Sunscreen blocks UV rays, so why couldn’t a skin emollient block opiates?  “That could work.”

“It’s worth a try, if nothing else.”

Mr. Damel went on to show Adam what he’d been working on.  He explained how he thought it would work, and then let Adam know that he’d have the first batch done by the end of the week.

“Good.  We can start testing on the same day I start taking snake venom.”  Adam wasn’t looking forward to writhing pain.

“Adam, we discussed this.  It’s not time to start testing on you yet.  It’s too risky.”  Mr. Damel didn’t like the idea of testing on Adam at all, but knew that it had to be done eventually.

“I’m ready, Mr. Damel.  It’s venom.  The rats are doing fine with it.  I can even do it at home after we see what the reactions will be.  I’m tired of waiting.  If I start now, I’ll have my tolerance built up by the time we get the other two issues worked out,”  Adam pled his case to his reluctant professor.

“Adam, I don’t know if that is such a good idea.”

“Tommy’s waited long enough.”

Sighing, Mr. Damel nodded his head.  “Very well.  Next Monday after classes we’ll get started.  Just remember that this won’t be a walk in the park.  Those rats can’t tell you how much pain you’ll be in, but I can tell you it will be immense.  You’ll probably blister and bruise at the sight of the injection.  You may become violently ill.  Just keep all that in mind, okay?”  

Adam knew the risks.  He’d read all about snake bites and the different reactions to different venoms.  He knew that the venom he would be injecting caused painful muscle spasms and in small doses, temporary loss of sight.  He knew that the chances of violent vomiting were high, and that he would have to be vigilant with the injection site because he would be at greater risk of infection.  He wasn’t keen on the idea of pain.  To be perfectly honest, he was a giant baby when it came to the throbbing, burning, sting of pain, but for Tommy, he’d walk through hell and back.

“I’ll be fine, Mr. Damel.”

With that, student and professor worked tirelessly into the night.  It was almost ten before Adam walked through the door of the room he shared with Tommy.   Tommy was sound asleep on his bed, snoring softly.  Adam smiled at the sight in front of him.  The light from outside crept through the window and cast an ethereal shadow across Tommy’s soft features.  If there were angels in the world, Adam had no doubt they would all look like Tommy.

Adam quickly rid himself of his shoes and got into the bed beside Tommy.  Tommy was lying flat on his back with one arm stretched out to his side and the other bent at the elbow, resting next to his head.  His legs were in a similar fashion, one straight and the other bent at the knee.  Adam maneuvered himself so that he was laying next to Tommy, his leg tucked up underneath Tommy’s bent one, and his head resting in the center of Tommy’s chest.  Tommy moaned softly, and adjusted himself slightly under Adam’s weight.

This is what Adam wanted.  He wanted to sleep with Tommy every night, only skin-to-skin.  He wanted to feel the warmth that seeped from Tommy’s pores.  Adam wanted to know what it was like to draw circles on Tommy’s belly without the fabric of a t-shirt in the way.  He would have that.  If it killed him, he would have that, and Tommy would too.

~ ~ ~

Monday afternoon came all too soon.  Adam sat in the middle of the lab, while Mr. Damel drew venom up into a syringe.  They had decided that for the initial dose, Adam would stay at the lab, so Mr. Damel could document his reactions and be there if something went wrong.  Mr. Damel still wasn’t happy about the early start, but did as Adam asked without complaint.

Adam flinched at the coldness of the alcohol swab.  He held his shirt up, exposing his belly.  If all went well, Adam would begin administering the venom to himself at home.  He’d chosen to have the injections in his torso, so Tommy would not be able to see and ask questions.  He would have to inject himself daily, which meant he’d have to hide it from Tommy.  He would have to inject himself while Tommy was at work, or in the middle of the night.  

“This is going to hurt almost instantly, Adam.  Are you ready?”  Mr. Damel asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,”  Adam said on an exhale.  He held his shirt out of the way as he felt the prick of the needle.  As soon as Mr. Damel started pushing the liquid through the needle, Adam felt it.  It was the most excruciating pain he’d ever felt.  He cried out almost instantly, with tears forming at the corners of his eyes.  If he could feel what it was like to be burned by fire, this is what he imagined it to feel like.

“All finished.  How do you feel, Adam,”

“Like I’m burning alive,”  Adam sputtered out, drool flowing from his lips.  If he weren’t in so much agony, he’d be embarrassed.

Seconds passed before the pain morphed.  The burning at his side oozed its way into every cell of his body.  His muscles seized up and with it came the sharpest pain Adam had ever felt.  He’d been cut by a knife once as a teenager.  He’d been slicing vegetables with his mom and slid the blade right through the pad of his finger.  The pain of that one small cut was blinding.  This felt like a thousand, maybe even a million slices across and through his body.  If his limbs weren’t imobile, he’d be writhing across the floor.

When the sharp pain subsided, the paralysis began.  It was different from the muscle spasms.  His limbs still moved with the spasms, but they weren’t under Adam’s control. Now, his body was limp.  The only thing he seemed to be able to move were his eyelids, but only for involuntary blinking.  With the paralysis came a different kind of pain.  It was an all over ache, dull but no less agonizing.  This went on for over an hour.

The entire episode lasted for about two hours.  Though Adam never lost his ability to see, almost everything else he’d read had happened.  When he gained control of his muscles, nausea ripped through him, causing the most savage vomiting he’d ever experienced.  He was covered in sweat, saliva, and tears, and had a nasty deep purple bruise on his belly.

“Well, was it worth it?”  Mr. Damel asked once Adam was back to his normal self.

“I’ll be back for round two tomorrow,” Adam deadpanned.

Mr. Damel looked at bit surprised, but smiled warmly.  “Tommy’s a very lucky young man.”

“I’m the lucky one,”  Adam said as he grabbed his bookbag and headed home.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Adam was able to hide his daily injections for almost a month.  The semester was winding down, and Tommy was spending more time at home.  His boss insisted he work less and study more, despite being told that Tommy was a genius and didn’t need to study.  Adam would inject himself on the few nights Tommy did work and suffer through the pain alone, or he would do it in the middle of the night.  He still suffered through the pain alone, but he took comfort in Tommy being asleep in the bed beside him.

Once Adam became immune to the pain of the initial dose is when the problems started.  Tommy had come home early from work and witnessed Adam in the middle of his reaction.  Tommy freaked out and called the campus ambulance.  By the time the ambulance got there, Adam was able to speak again and insisted he was fine.  It took a lot of arguing to get the EMT’s to leave without hauling Adam to the hospital.  The last thing Adam needed were blood tests to show what he’d been doing.

Three days later, Tommy woke up in the middle of the night to Adam spasming on his bed.  Tommy pleaded with Adam with tears running down his cheeks for Adam to go see a doctor, but he refused.  He promised Tommy that he was fine, and silenced his upset boyfriend with a slow and loving hand job.  

After the fourth episode, Tommy was really scared.  Not only that, he was pissed.  He didn’t understand why Adam wouldn’t go get checked out when he was so obviously not well.

“You have to see a doctor, Adam! Please.”  Tommy pleaded, his eyes again wet with tears.  “I can’t lose you.”

Adam used his gloved covered thumbs to wipe the tears from Tommy’s eyes.  “I’m not going anywhere, Tommy.  I’m fine.  I promise you, I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.  You’re having seizures, and a lot of them.  And look at you!  You’ve lost at least fifteen pounds from all the vomiting.”  Tommy’s voice trembled.

“Tommy.  Look at me.”  Adam took Tommy’s face in his hands and guided Tommy to look him in the eyes.  “I promise you, with all the love I have for you that I’m ok.”

With fear and trust in his eyes, Tommy conceded.  “Ok.  I trust you.  But I’m scared for you, Adam.  This isn’t normal.”

“I know, baby.  I know,”  Adam said, wrapping Tommy in an extra firm hug.

~ ~ ~

Tommy saw no more episodes, for which Adam was thankful.  It was hard enough to convince Tommy that he was all right without added evidence to contradict his words.  Adam was on his third increase, and doing well.  The new higher dose wasn’t causing such extreme reactions.  Mr. Damel said that the venom build up in his system was proving to be a success.  There would be three more increases until Adam was at the levels present in Tommy’s skin.  Once he reached that level with no symptoms, the experiment would be considered a success, and they could focus on the other two obstacles.  

Mr. Damel and Adam had been making progress on those fronts as well.  The cyanide antidote was now at an eighty percent success rate on the rats, and the opiate antagonist was having positive results.  The rats were responding well to fatal doses of opiates, however the rats were still expiring after prolonged exposure.  Regular lotion form was not enough.  Mr. Damel was now trying to develop a thicker, more resistant topical cream.  One that would last longer on the skin and make the need for reapplication less frequent.

Adam was sitting on his bed on a Wednesday afternoon, getting ready to shoot himself up with venom, when Tommy came prancing through the door.  When he turned to shut the door, Adam hurried up and hid the syringe under his mattress.  He’d convinced Tommy he was ok; he didn’t need Tommy thinking he was a junkie.

Tommy turned back around and with a smile as radiant as the sun, pounced over to where Adam sat.  “Hey,”  he said as he bounced on the mattress next to Adam.  
  


“Hey.”  Adam looked into Tommy’s eyes and saw mischief laced with lust.

“I have a surprise for you.”  

The excitement coming off Tommy was too adorable.  Adam loved him so damn much.  “What’s your surprise.  I’m dying to know.”

Tommy bounced again, taking his bag off his shoulder and setting it on the bed.  He unzipped it and began rummaging around in its contents.  He pulled out a box and Adam had to do a double take.

Condoms.

“Um…”  Adam trailed off.  As exciting as the idea was, Adam knew there was no way the two could safely have sex.  Even with clothes on, the risk of skin contact was too great.  

“It’s not what you think,”  Tommy said quickly, understanding where Adam’s mind was going. “Do you trust me?”

Tommy was using Adam’s own words on him. Of course he trusted Tommy.  He’d always trust Tommy. “Yes.”

With a smile, Tommy motioned for Adam to lay down.  Slowly, Adam did as he was instructed, adjusting a pillow under his head so he was able to see what it was Tommy was doing.   Once flat on his back, Tommy reached up and ran his hand over Adam’s crotch.  Adam immediately hardened under his touch.  With delicate fingers, Tommy pulled the zipper of Adam’s jeans and popped the button.  He pulled Adam’s jeans out of the way but left his boxer briefs on.

“These have to stay on.  Extra protection,”  Tommy explained as he tore open the box of condoms. Understanding rang through Adam’s ears as Tommy pulled Adam’s dick out of his boxers and rolled the condom down Adam’s shaft.  “It’s also flavored,”  Tommy added sheepishly.

God, Adam loved Tommy.  In all the time they had been intimate, Adam had never thought of this.  When most people thought about oral sex, they didn’t think about doing it with a condom, even though technically it was the only safe way to do it.   At the first touch of Tommy’s tongue, Adam’s eyes rolled back into his head.  He felt the warmth of Tommy’s mouth, and the pressure of his tongue, but with slightly dulled sensations.  The condom took some of the intensity away, but none of the pleasure.  Adam groaned as Tommy swirled his tongue around Adam’s engorged flesh.

Adam had had blow jobs before: a boy in high school, a slightly older man when he was twenty, and Aleron.  None even came close to feeling as amazing as Tommy’s was at that moment.  Adam chalked it up to being in love with Tommy.  He’d never been in love before.  Even with Aleron, he wasn’t in love.  Love made everything different.  Better.

“Fuck, Tommy.  I love you.  Mmm,”  Adam said, breathy with a hint of a moan.  The sounds coming from his throat didn’t sound human.

He didn’t have his gloves on, so he couldn't bury his fingers in Tommy’s hair.  Instead he sat up slightly, and pulled Tommy’s hoodie over his head.  Adam was then able to pet Tommy, squeeze him gently, and guide him as he worked.

As Tommy bobbed his head up and down, the sexiest sounds escaped past his lips.  He would moan and whimper as if having Adam in his mouth were better than any decadence he’d ever experienced.  Occasionally he would look up and lock eyes with Adam, mumbling his love and appreciation around the hardened skin.

“Your mouth. God, your mouth,”  Adam groaned, as he felt his orgasm building.  He felt like he was losing his mind.  

After what felt like hours (but in reality was about twenty minutes), Adam felt everything in his body tighten and release all at once.  He cried out Tommy’s name, and professed his undying love as his orgasm subsided.

Tommy gently removed the condom, tying it in a knot and pitching it into the trash.  He then adjusted Adam back into his underwear and pulled up his jeans.  Unable to work his fingers yet, Tommy helped zip and button Adam’s jeans back up. Once finished, Tommy moved up the bed and came to rest next to Adam.

“That was amazing.  Thank you,” Adam said to Tommy.  He reached over and placed his hand over Tommy’s heart.  It was beating just as erratically as his own.

“I wish I could give you more.”  Tommy sounded sad, yet happy at the same time.

‘It was perfect.”

“I still wish I could give you more, though.  I want to kiss you.  More than anything else in the world, I want to kiss you,”  Tommy confessed.

Adam pulled Tommy in to him, resting Tommy’s head into the crook of his arm.  “That would be nice, but not as nice as this moment right here, right now,”  Adam said, hoping that the sadness in Tommy’s voice would leave if Adam told him just how perfect the here and now was.

“Thank you,”  Tommy said back to Adam.

“Thank you for what?”

“For loving me.”

Adam kissed the top of Tommy’s hood covered head, and drew small circles across his shoulder.  Tommy’s arm snaked over Adam’s abdomen and squeezed.  He squeezed right at the level of Adam’s injection site causing Adam to flinch and grunt in pain.   Tommy immediately sat up at attention.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.  You just squeezed a bit hard,”  Adam said almost too quickly.

Tommy gave Adam a disbelieving look.  “You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.  I’m fine.”

Before Adam could stop him, Tommy grabbed Adam’s shirt and yanked it upward.  “Oh my god!”  Tommy gasped, as he stared in horror at Adam’s exposed belly.  Adam’s belly, just below and to the right of his navel was an angry, deep purple and black bruise.  Tommy touched it delicately with his gloved fingers, and Adam flinched.  

“It’s nothing, Tommy.  Really.  I just ran into the corner of a desk,”  Adam said as he quickly pulled his shirt back down to hide the bruise.  

“Bullshit.  A desk doesn’t do that.” Tommy jumped up and began pacing the floor.

“Tommy, please.  Let it go,”  Adam pleaded.

“Not only are you keeping something from me, but you’re asking me to forget what I just saw?”

“Yes,” Adam admitted.  He wasn’t ready for Tommy to know the truth.

“Fuck you, Adam.  You say you love me, but you keep secrets from me.  Who did this to you, and don’t lie to me.”

“I can’t.”

“Are you fucking kidding me!”  Tommy yelled, no doubt louder than the neighboring students would appreciate. “You either tell me, or I’m done.  I won’t put up with you keeping shit from me.  Not after I put all my trust in you.”

Adam buried his head in his hands.  Tommy was threatening to walk, and Adam had no doubt that he would.  After all that Tommy had been through, and Adam breaking down his walls, Tommy would never accept being lied to.  He had to confess.  He didn’t have a choice.  “Sit down, Tommy.  You’re going to want to be sitting.”

Tommy sat next to Adam with uncertainty.  At the look of uneasiness on Tommy’s face, Adam connected their hands and rested them on Tommy’s lap.

With a deep breath, Adam said, “I’ve been injecting myself with snake venom.”

“What?”  Tommy’s eyes went wide at Adam’s admission.  “Why the hell would you do that?”

Adam shrugged his shoulders.  “For you.”

Now Tommy looked baffled.  “How is injecting yourself with poison for me?”

With another sigh, Adam launched into his story.  He admitted to Tommy that he’d fallen in love with Tommy long before their first date.  He told him that after hearing about Erik, Adam wanted nothing more than to give Tommy everything that he’d wanted with Erik.  He told him about approaching Mr. Damel with the idea of finding a cure for Tommy and making it his exit project.  He confessed that’s what he’d been spending all of his time doing. Adam apologized for keeping all of it from Tommy, but explained he didn’t want to get Tommy’s hopes up in case his efforts were futile.

“You are doing all of that for me.  Just so I can touch you?”  Tommy asked, unbelieving.

“Of course.”

“But why.  Why would you put yourself through that.  Why would you risk your life for me.”

“Because you’re worth it,”  Adam said with utter seriousness.

Tommy stared into Adam’s eyes, every emotion playing across his face before he lunged toward Adam and wrapped his arms around Adam’s neck.  Adam felt a shudder rip through Tommy’s body and immediately knew Tommy was sobbing into his chest.  Adam encased Tommy with strong arms.  Moments passed in silence, the only sounds being Tommy’s muffled sobs.

Once he had collected himself, Tommy lifted his head from Adam’s chest.  His eyes were red and slightly puffy, but his smile was as bright as ever.  “I love you, Adam.  I can’t believe you’d do all of this for me.”

“I love you too, Tommy.  More than you could ever know.”

“I think I have an idea.”  

Adam kissed the top of Tommy’s head, and maneuvered him so they were lying tangled on the bed.  He once again traced circles along Tommy’s shoulder, and Tommy traced the edges of Adam’s bruise being careful not to hurt him.

“Tell me everything,”  Tommy said.  Adam had only given him the outline, not the details.

Upon his request, Adam began telling Tommy everything, starting with the fact that he was not working on a cure.  An actual cure was impossible without finding a way to alter Tommy’s genetic makeup, and that was well above Adam’s or Mr. Damel’s intellectual ability.  They were however, working on an antagonist of sorts.  Something that would allow Tommy to touch Adam, and vice versa without fear of bodily harm.  He told Tommy that they had pinpointed the characteristics and elements of Tommy’s toxin, and were working on three different ways of counteracting each one.

“Let me help,”  Tommy said.  “A third set of brain cells wouldn’t hurt.”

Adam laughed and pulled Tommy closer.  “Sure, now that you know.  I just don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t work.”

“I may be disappointed.  If this doesn’t work, I’ll never get to feel your lips.  But it won’t change anything.  I’m here to stay, as long as you’ll have me.”

Adam clutched Tommy as tightly as he could.  “I guess that means you’re staying forever.”

****  
  



	17. Chapter 17

Adam, Tommy, and Mr. Damel worked tirelessly.  Day in and day out, they were in the lab.  When they weren’t in the lab, Tommy spent his nights at Adam’s side while he suffered through the symptoms of a snake bite.  They all had a part to play, and the addition of Tommy had been a very helpful inclusion.

 

It was now finals week, and Adam had to step back from the lab to study.  Unlike his genius boyfriend, if Adam wanted good grades, he had to work for them.  In his absence, Tommy worked diligently with Mr. Damel.  He added insight and even worked out a few kinks that the professor had been stuck on.  One very important thing Tommy was able to contribute was himself, his skin.  Once Mr. Damel was able to create different types of lotions with different components, viscosity and staying power, he would cover each rat with a thin layer and let Tommy pick the little creatures up in his ungloved hands.  It had been a huge disappointment at first.  Tommy killed three rats in a matter of minutes.  As the days went on, however, they were able to create an emollient that had potential.  When Tommy picked up the rat that had been covered in it, the rat did not react as the others before it.  The tiny creature didn’t convulse, didn’t cry out in pain; it didn’t quickly succumb to the poison in Tommy’s skin.  Mr. Damel timed the encounter, and the rat had made it almost three hours before Tommy’s skin won, and the rat died.  The little rat, though it did die, was a huge success.  They were on the right track.  They’d found something that worked.  Now they could focus on that and hopefully create something more powerful and long working from it.

 

In between the times at the lab, Tommy and Adam spent all their time together.  With their newfound intimacy, they spent much more time alone in their room and a lot less time apart.  Tommy had taken to curling up in bed almost every night with Adam.  He’d sleep covered from head to toe, facing away from Adam, while Adam wrapped himself around Tommy’s smaller body.  Just to be on the safe side, Adam also slept fully covered, so the risk of touching the small amount of skin that did show would be almost insignificant.  It wasn’t what either wanted, and the wait to be able to touch skin-to-skin was torturous, but they took advantage of all the ways they could be close.

 

Tommy also helped Adam through injections.  Adam no longer did them alone.  Tommy insisted on being there with Adam to help him through the after effects.  Since Tommy was now a part of the plan, and he knew what to expect from each injection, he sat on the floor next to Adam as he convulsed and lost control of his body.  Tommy would rest Adam’s head on his lap and caress Adam’s hair as he spoke encouraging words.  Adam was thankful to have Tommy there, his soothing voice helping to keep his mind off the pain.  Tommy had even begun to follow Adam into the bath after the episodes, putting on nitrile exam gloves and scrubbing the sweat and tension from Adam’s cramped up muscles.

 

“Tomorrow’s my last final,”  Adam said on a sigh as Tommy massaged body wash over Adam’s knotted shoulders. He had just gotten up from his latest injection, and Tommy was rubbing out all the kinks.  Adam had just started dose increase number five.  Though the episodes weren’t as extreme, the first dose was always the worst.  The pain lingered for hours, sometimes days afterward.  He was grateful that Tommy had been willing to care for him in the aftermath. “I’m so glad the semester is over.”

 

“You’ll be a junior now.  I’ll still be a freshman,” Tommy said.  Adam had started at UEG during the spring semester his freshman year.  Sometimes he felt like that kid in high school that got held back and was older than all of his classmates.

 

“Does that make me a cradle robber?”

 

Tommy laughed.  “Sure does.  But what old man could resist such a sweet, tight little ass?”  Tommy finished by grabbing his own ass and giving it a little squeeze.

 

“Oh my god, Tommy!  I can’t believe you just said that!”

 

“What, that I’m hot?”

 

“No.  Anyone with eyes can see that you’re more than hot.  You just called me old.”

 

Tommy winked playfully.  “I like older men.”

 

“Good,”  Adam more or less moaned as Tommy worked the muscles of Adam’s biceps.

 

Tommy was thorough, rubbing deep, tiny circles over every inch of Adam’s body.  More times than not, the theraputic massages ended in one or both of them sexually sated as well.  This time Adam was just too tired.  After he dried off, Adam slipped on his boxer briefs and lay facedown on his bed.  Tommy came up to kneel beside him and began to work on Adam’s legs and ass.  He was only half way through one cheek when he heard the soft sounds of sleep coming from Adam's’ mouth.  Tommy pulled the blankets up to Adam’s neck, and kissed him through the thin material on Adam’s shoulder.  Tommy whispered something in Adam’s ear, then crossed over to his own bed and went to sleep.

 

The next morning, Adam woke up with a start.  The blankets were tangled around him, and he was covered in sweat.  His heart was beating out of his chest.  A sense of panic gripped him. “Tommy,”  he said into the room, looking over to Tommy’s bed, and relaxing when he saw sleepy brown eyes peer out from under the covers.

 

“Adam,”  Tommy said, bolting upright as he took in the fear on Adam’s face.  “What’s wrong, baby?”

 

Wasting no time, Adam crossed the few steps it took to get to Tommy’s bed, and wrapped himself around Tommy.  Tommy instinctively snaked his arms around Adam, and ran his hands up and down Adam’s back in tender caresses. Adam held on tight, not letting go until his heart and his breathing returned to normal.  

 

“I had the worst nightmare,” Adam said, looking up into Tommy’s eyes.  “I’m so sorry, Tommy.”

 

Tears welled in Adam’s eyes as he apologized to Tommy.  He’d dreamt that he and Tommy had traded places: that Adam was the one with the toxic touch, and his touch had killed Tommy.  It wasn’t so much the dream that had sent Adam into a panic, it was the realization of what Tommy had gone through, not once but twice, and what Adam’s was potentially putting him through again by experimenting on himself.

 

“I get it now.  I get it.  I’m so sorry.  Tell me to stop and I will.  I promise.”

 

“What are you talking about, Adam?”  Tommy questioned, concern etched in his features.

 

“I dreamt I was you, and that I killed you.  I get it.  I get how you must feel.  The fear, the pain.  I won’t put you through it anymore.  We can stop.  Just say the word, and it’s over.”  Adam sobbed into Tommy’s chest, each sob raking through his body so hard it shook Tommy’s small body like an earthquake.

 

Wrapping his arms around Adam even tighter, Tommy tried to soothe Adam down from his panic.  “It’s all right, Adam.  It’s okay.  It was just a dream.”

 

Adam lifted his head slightly so he could again look into Tommy’s eyes.  “But I get it now.  I get it.”

 

The love and concern and sympathy coming from Tommy’s eyes just made Adam break down even more.  Adam was supposed to be the strong one, moving heaven and earth to give Tommy the life he deserved.  But here Tommy was, bringing Adam back from the brink of hysteria with soothing words and gentle touches.

 

“Look at me, Adam.  Do I look like I want you to stop...us to stop.  I love you.  Yes, I’m scared, but I can’t let fear run my life.  You taught me that.”

 

“But-”

 

“No buts.”  Tommy cut Adam off.  He knew what he was about to say.  “I love you.  That scares the hell out of me.  I’m scared of losing you, yes. I’m scared shitless that this whole thing won’t work, and this time you won’t survive.  But just like you, I’ve seen your side.  I get it.  You love me enough to risk yourself.  Well I’m doing the same thing.”

 

Sniffling, Adam asked, “How-”

 

Tommy cut Adam off again before he’d finished. “By letting you risk your life for me, I’m risking my own.  I love you so much, I wouldn’t survive if I lost you.  I’m putting all of my faith in you because I love you.”

 

Adam didn’t try to speak again for long moments.  He just stared into the depths of Tommy’s eyes as if he was searching for the truth and comfort of Tommy’s words.  He hadn’t thought of it that way.  He hadn’t realized that, in all truth, Tommy was risking just as much as Adam.  The reasons might have been slightly different, but the love for each other was the same.  He couldn’t breathe without Tommy, and in turn Tommy couldn’t live without Adam.”

 

When he was finally able to speak, with a broken voice Adam whispered,  “I love you, Tommy.  So, so much.”

 

Tommy tightened his grip on Adam.  “We’re in this together, you and me.  If I sink, you sink.”

 

“If I swim, you swim,”  Adam finished.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Three weeks had passed since Adam’s nightmare.  Though things were back to normal on the surface, he still had the lingering fear that he wouldn’t make it through the final test.  He wasn’t afraid for himself.  He’d never been afraid of death, but he was afraid for Tommy.  His fear lie in the idea of Tommy having to live with another life on his hands, the life of someone he loved. But there was no turning back now.  He had to follow this through to the end, whatever that end might be.

 

“How are things with the venom injections, Adam?”  Mr. Damel asked.  Adam had been taking the final strength of venom for a few days. Two weeks was the approximate time frame the other doses took to neutralize.  

 

“It’s progressing the same.  Hurts like hell, but it gets easier and less painful everyday.”

 

“Good.  That’s excellent.  I’ve had some success on my end as well.  I think I’ve finally got the right balance between the antagonists and longevity of the emollients.”

 

“Really?”  Adam asked, the hope in his voice apparent.

 

“Tommy’s handle time with the rats has increased from a three hour max to about five and a half.  Ideally, we want a handle time of eight to ten hours.  That way the applications will hold up, say, if you’re sleeping a full eight hours together in the same space.”  Mr. Damel handed Adam a graph of the progress.  Adam studied it for a moment, and then smiled up at his professor.

 

“I think we’re actually going to do it.”

 

“Yes, Adam.  I think you’re right.”

 

“I know we are,”  Tommy added to the conversation.  He stroked the rat he was holding in his hands.  He’d been holding and petting it for about four hours.  It would be at least another hour before the rat started reacting to Tommy’s skin.

 

“So what next?”  Adam asked, smiling at Tommy from across the room, mouthing the words I love you.

 

“I have another hour or so with Samson here, then we’ll be done for the evening.”

 

“Samson?”

 

Tommy threw an innocent look in Adam’s direction.  “What?  He looked like a Samson.”

 

Shaking his head in amusement, Adam put his finger to his lips and thought about what they could do for the rest of the evening.  His mind instantly went to the dirtiest of things.  He had no doubt that the evening would wind up with his thoughts being brought to life, but they couldn’t spend all night locked behind their dorm room door.  They needed to get out, mingle with the rest of the world. “You wanna hang out with Ashni and Cain tonight?  She’s been asking for a while.”

 

“We have been sort of preoccupied, haven’t we?”  Tommy asked.  Over the course of several months, Tommy has really taken to Ashni.  She looked at Tommy as if he too were her big brother.  “Dinner?”

 

“I’ll text her.”  Adam took his phone out of his back pocket and typed out a quick message.  The phone vibrated in his hands almost immediately.  “She says sure thing.  Meet her at Almost India at 7:00.”

 

“That is the stupidest name for a restaurant.”  Tommy laughed as he spoke.  “It’s like naming a bank Almost Rich.”

 

Adam shook his head.  “It is almost like being in India.  The food is that good.”

 

“We’ll see.”

 

“You two get going.  I’ll finish up here and see you tomorrow.”  Mr. Damel waved the two off.  He had to get home to his wife, who was newly pregnant.  He’d spent so much time helping Adam and Tommy, Adam was surprised they’d even had time to conceive.  But he was extremely happy for Mr. Damel.  Adam even volunteered to babysit once the little one was born.  

 

“Thanks again, Mr. Damel.  Tell Mrs. Damel we said hello,”  Tommy said as he waved goodbye.  Both Adam and Tommy exited Science building and walked across campus to go and get ready for their much needed evening with friends.

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

The time had come.  After months of research and experimentation, it was time for Adam to test out his creation.  Their creation.  So much blood, sweat and tears had been shed to get to this moment.  It was time to do or die.

 

“Are you sure you want to do this, Adam?”  Mr. Damel asked.  He was confident in his trials with the rats but still had apprehension on letting Adam try the emollient out on himself.

 

Looking over at Tommy, Adam smiled.  This was all for Tommy.  Yes, it would benefit Adam as well, but he never saw any of it as selfish.  He did this for Tommy.  Tommy deserved it.  Adam would have been content living their entire lives just as they had been, but Adam knew deep down, Tommy would always feel like Adam was giving up his own needs for Tommy.  Of course Adam knew he didn’t see it that way, but Tommy had always and would always feel guilty about never being able to give Adam something as simple as a kiss.

 

“I’m sure.”

 

“I’m afraid, Adam,”  Tommy admitted softly.  He’d been supportive through the whole process, but Adam was sure if Tommy had his way, Adam would not be getting ready to slather himself with the thick white cream in his hands.

 

“I’m afraid too, Tommy,”  Adam said.  “But I love you.  Anything that happens to me is worth the risk.”

 

Tommy just smiled weakly.  He gave Mr. Damel an enthusiastic thumbs up and followed Adam out the door and towards the bathroom.  Once inside, with the door closed, Adam began to strip.  They’d decided to get it all over and done with in one shot, testing the effectiveness on all areas of the body, making sure things like sweat and warmth didn’t break the barrier down faster in those areas.

 

Stripped down naked, Adam began rubbing the white cream into his skin.  It was the consistency of paste and smelled like wax.  He worked it into his limbs, neck and chest.  rubbing it over every inch of skin until it was absorbed and dry.  Adam had Tommy help him with the areas he couldn’t reach, and then gave Tommy a show as he covered his dick, sack, and ass.  Adam chuckled as Tommy adjusted himself in his jeans.

 

Once covered head to toe, Adam wrapped a large towel around his waist and walked back into the lab.  He felt awkward standing practically naked in front of his professor, but what other choice did he have?  If this were going to work, he had to shed his modesty.

 

“Okay.  Are we ready?”  Mr. Damel asked.

 

“As ready as we’ll ever be,”  Tommy answered for them both.

 

“This is what we’ll do.  I’ve brought some blankets to keep you covered up.  I’m going to leave the room, give you time to get situated.  Tommy, you need to strip down.  We need as much skin-to-skin as possible.  All areas of the body if you can manage.  After about ten minutes, I’ll come back in and begin the clock.  All the research points to getting at least seven hours of contact.  If we can make it to seven, we’ll consider it a success.”  Mr. Damel hopped down from his stool, and walked to the door.  Once out in the hall, he turned.  “Go,”  he said as he shut the door behind him.

 

“This is it, huh?”  Adam asked as Tommy began stripping off his clothes.  Adam had seen Tommy naked dozens of times over the past several months, but the sight of him still made the air in Adam’s throat catch every time.

 

“This is it.”  

 

Tommy slipped off his last sock and stood facing Adam.  The nervousness was apparent in all of Tommy’s tight muscles.  Along with the nervousness, Adam saw anticipation.  Even if this didn’t work out the way they had hoped, the look in Tommy’s eyes confirmed that Adam had done the right thing all along.  At least once, for a moment, Tommy would know what it felt like to be touched with love.  Not the boyhood kind of love he had with Erik before the tragic accident, but adult love and connection.  The kind of mature love that leaves you gutted and full all at once.

 

Adam dropped his towel and stepped towards Tommy.  He reached out his hand.  Tommy raised his hand as if to take hold of Adam’s, but hesitated.  He looked up into Adam’s eyes, and Adam nodded his head, reassuring Tommy that everything was all right.  Slowly, Tommy raised his hand, and tentatively touched the tips of his fingers to Adam’s.  When nothing happened, he slid his hand the rest of the way into Adam’s and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Adam was smiling the biggest, brightest smile.  Tommy let out a loud lungful of air.

 

“See, that wasn’t so bad.”

 

“I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  Are you okay?  Am I hurting you?”  Tommy asked, reservation in his voice.

 

“I’ve never been better.”

 

With a little coaxing from Adam, Tommy ran his hand up Adam’s hand.  He traced every line, every vein as he moved along.  He brushed his fingers over Adam’s pulse, over the firm muscles of his biceps, and up the curve of Adam’s stubbled jaw.  Adam let out a whimper as Tommy’s fingers grazed his cheek and lips. Adam moved in closer to Tommy, wrapping his own fingers around Tommy’s wandering hands.

 

“We should get covered up.”  Adam pulled lightly and urged Tommy to follow him towards the corner of the room where the blankets were piled on the floor.  He picked up a thin sheet and held it to his back, opening his arms wide and inviting.  “Come here.”

 

Tommy did as he was told and inched closer to Adam.  He stood with just inches between Adam and himself, afraid to move in and close the distance between their naked flesh.  Tommy looked up into Adam’s blue eyes and again was given a nod letting him know that it was okay.  He took a deep breath and moved the remaining distance until his bare chest came into contact with Adam’s.

 

The sound that came from Tommy’s chest was intoxicating.  Adam felt a rush from the warm contact, and immediately wrapped Tommy up in a solid, all encompassing embrace.  Tommy’s skin was warm and soft.  It was everything Adam had envisioned, and more.  “Oh god, Tommy.”  Adam lowered himself to the ground and took Tommy gently with him.  Once seated, he lifted Tommy so that he was sitting on Adam’s lap with his legs wrapped around Adam’s back, and his chest rising and falling in time with Adam’s.  They were connected on every available surface.  Adam groaned as he felt his dick brush against the cheek of Tommy’s ass.

 

Tommy was just as aroused as Adam.  Adam could feel the warm hard flesh between Tommy’s legs resting against his belly.  Adam squeezed Tommy tighter to him, absorbing every ounce of heat Tommy was giving off.

 

“This feels amazing,”  Adam said, breathing in the scent of Tommy’s throat.  Adam ran his nose up and down Tommy’s pulse point.

 

“Oh, Jesus,”  Tommy cried, grinding his ass involuntarily into Adam’s growing erection. “You feel so good, Adam.”

 

“I want to taste your skin so fucking bad.”  Adam placed butterfly kisses up and down Tommy’s throat. Kissing in theory should be fine.  Tommy’s tongue on Adam’s skin wouldn’t cause a problem.  All the testing that was done after Tommy got on board showed that the toxins were not concentrated to toxic levels in his saliva, tears, or sweat.  Adam may feel a tingle, or pins and needles sensation but it wouldn’t hurt him.  Adam’s tongue however was a different story.  Tommy’s toxin would absorb much faster through the mucous membrane of Adam’s mouth, so until they extended the barriers to Tommy, Adam’s tongue had to behave itself.

 

“Soon,”  Tommy said on a breath.  His body’s response to Adam’s touches was turning Adam on faster than his brain could keep him in check.

 

“Tommy, we have to calm down,”  Adam said inbetween kisses to Tommy’s throat.  “Mr. Damel is going to come back through that door any minute.”

 

Tommy stilled in Adam’s lap.  He’d been so responsive to Adam’s feather light kisses that he was unintentionally grinding his ass against Adam’s groin. Adam wrapped the sheet tightly around them, and added a blanket for extra coverage.  No need in traumatizing Mr. Damel with their reactions to each other.

 

Holding each other as close as humanly possible, and resting against each others forehead, Adam and Tommy calmed their breathing, pushing the air in and out of their lungs in unison. Being with Adam, wrapped up in each other, must have been too much for Tommy to take in all at once, because in between breaths, Adam felt large, hot tears fall to his chest.  

 

He dipped his head down so he could see Tommy’s face.  “Baby, talk to me.  Are you okay?”

 

Tommy lifted his head, the tears streaming down his cheeks. “It’s just so much...all at once.  Yesterday, this was just a wish, a dream, and now it’s here.  It’s happening, and I don’t know how to feel.”

 

Adam cupped Tommy’s face in his large hands.  “You don’t have to feel anything at all.  Or you can feel everything.”

 

Returning the gesture, Tommy placed his hands on Adam’s cheeks.  “That’s just it.  I feel everything.  It’s overwhelming.”

 

“I love you, Tommy.”

 

Tommy looked deep into Adam’s eyes, and Adam stared right back, absorbing all the love and longing hidden within their depths.  Before they’d met, Tommy had lived his life thinking he’d always be alone, void of human touch and love.  The thought brought tears to Adam’s eyes.  Just as a single tear began to trail down Adam’s cheek, Tommy caught it with his thumb and wiped the salty wetness away.    
  


“Kiss me.”  It wasn’t a question, and there was no timidness, no apprehension in Tommy’s voice.

 

Adam glanced down at Tommy’s mouth right before he leaned forward and sealed his mouth over Tommy’s pink, waiting lips.  The kiss was soft at first, closed-mouthed and sweet as they both got a feel for each other.  Adam wanted to run his tongue across the seam of Tommy’s lips, but hesitated.  Though Tommy’s tongue and saliva weren’t toxic, his lips were.  He had to be careful, and let Tommy lead the kiss.  

 

It didn’t take long before Tommy’s tongue was seeking entrance, and Adam opened up without hesitation.  As soon as Tommy’s tongue was in Adam’s mouth, he pushed forward, tangling their tongues together in a dance that had been denied for far too long.  They got lost in each other.   The world around them disappeared.  Tommy whimpered into the kiss, occasionally sucking back a sob as the emotions overtook him.  Adam too felt tears roll down his cheeks as the reality of the moment sank in.

 

All too soon, they heard a throat clear from the other side of the room.  Instantly broken from their trance, Adam pulled away from Tommy with a sigh.  Tommy lifted his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes, but Adam batted his hand away and took to the task for him.  He smiled at Tommy as he wiped the tears away, and kissed the tip of his nose.

 

“I’ve wanted to do that so many times when I watched you sleep,”  Adam admitted.

 

“You watched me sleep?”

 

“At least once a night.”

 

“Oh, Adam.”

 

Adam squeezed Tommy into a hug as Mr. Damel approached.  “I take it so far, so good?”  Mr. Damel asked, looking at the timer on his desk.  “It’s been twenty minutes.  Only six hours and forty minutes left to go.”

 

Still clinging to each other, the emotional charge they had been captured by, slowly evening out with Mr. Damel just feet away, Adam and Tommy smiled and joked as the time ticked by.  They talked about their double date that was planned for the upcoming weekend.  Ashni and Cain were crazy about each other, and both Adam and Tommy agreed that it was the real deal.  The look on Ashni’s face every time Cain was near was the same look that Adam got whenever he happened upon Tommy’s face.  Cain visibly melted each time Ashni threw a smile in his direction.

 

They talked about school and the fall semester that seemed like it was just around the corner.  Tommy told Adam what classes he’d signed up for, and Adam reiterated the fact that Tommy was now and forever his tutor.  They talked about moving out of the dorm and getting a campus apartment together.  Adam had plenty of money left to pay for a living space, and Tommy still worked at the record store.  They joked about Adam being the wife, and taking care of Tommy after his long days at work.

 

Before they knew it, they were kissing again, oblivious to the fact that Mr. Damel was sitting at his desk, reading a book.  If he was uncomfortable by Adam and Tommy’s affections, he didn’t show it.  He would shout out every now and then, ask how everything was, if Adam felt anything out of the ordinary, then go back to his book.   Once they hit the five hour mark, Mr. Damel closed his book and paid closer attention to the boys.

 

“Two hours to go.  If we make it that far…”  Adam said, trailing off.

 

“Then we can be together,”  Tommy finished.

 

“We already are together.  I can just show you how much I’m absolutely, completely, irreversibly in love with you.”

 

“And I can show you too,”  Tommy offered.

 

“You show me everyday.”  Just by giving Adam his trust so freely, Adam knew how much Tommy loved him.

 

“Thank you, Adam.  For all of this.”  Tears began to well in Tommy’s eyes again.  Adam kissed them away.

 

As the minutes ticked by, Tommy and Adam returned to their bubble.  Mr. Damel and the rest of the world vanished, leaving only the two of them and their kaleidoscope of emotions.  Happiness, sadness, anxiety, elation, uncertainty, love, contentment, lust, fear; every emotion was felt within the encasing of the thin barrier of blankets and the heat of their bodies until they were startled by a loud ding.  They looked up at Mr. Damel holding the timer in his hands.  They sat frozen as reality sunk in.

 

“Time’s up.”

  
  



	19. Chapter 19

“It worked.  Tommy, it worked!”  Adam exclaimed, throwing himself forward and smashing his lips against Tommy’s.  The feeling running through his gut when the timer went off was like nothing he’d ever felt before.  He never experienced the level of elation that happened at the smallest touch of Tommy’s fingers on his skin.

 

Tommy, who’d been crying on and off through the whole experience, choked on a sob as he pulled away from Adam’s warm lips.  He leaned in and brought their foreheads together.  “It worked,”  Tommy whispered.

 

“I love you so fucking much.”

 

Letting out a small laugh, Tommy returned the declaration.  Turning his head, he looked over to where Mr. Damel sat at the desk, jotting down notes.  “What now?”  Tommy asked.

 

Mr. Damel looked through his notes and studied several different pages.  “For starters, let me test the saturation on Adam’s skin.  We need to have a definite stage for reapplying throughout the day.  It’s imperative that he’s completely covered in at least fifty percent concentration at all times.  Anything less than that will be a risk.”

 

Adam fiddled with the blankets, separating them out.  He wrapped one around Tommy and one around himself before getting to his feet and meeting Mr. Damel at the desk.  Tommy followed close behind.  “What else?”

 

“Nothing else, really.  At least not yet.  We’ve already proved that it works.  Now we fine tune.”

 

The entire day had been surreal and overwhelming.  Adam wanted nothing more than to go home and test the effectiveness in private.  He wanted to wrap himself up in Tommy, explore every inch of him until there was nothing left to discover. That would never be true.  With Tommy, the exploration and discovery would be endless.

 

Adam followed Mr. Damel over to a stool and sat down.  Mr. Damel explained that he was going to take swabs of several different areas to test concentration levels and how they were affected by different areas of the body.  Heat, sweat, and friction among other things would all cause the areas to vary in the amount of barrier that remained on the skin.  He swabbed Adam’s lips and neck and hands.  He let Adam swab the area just above the pubic line.  Mr. Damel explained that that area had the highest risk of breakdown if they began a physical relationship.  Once all the swabs were collected, Mr. Damel left the room so that Adam and Tommy could dress. There was no need for them to stick around for the swab analyzing, so they quickly dressed and headed out the door.

 

“I’m starving,”  Tommy said.  He’d put his gloves back on and was again covered from head to toe.  

 

Adam already missed the sight of Tommy’s pale skin and the heat that had been radiating from him.  He knew it was only temporary.  A few more tests, and they would be able to enjoy each other physically.  Though Adam thought Tommy was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen, Adam fell in love with Tommy’s mind, his heart, and his strength.

 

“Burgers?”

 

“I think I could eat an entire cow,”  Tommy said, laughing lightly.  “You sure you’re up for gluttony?”

 

Adam joined in Tommy’s laughter.  Tommy had teased Adam on many occasions about his obsession with salad, once telling him that he “eats the food that food eats.”  Adam had rolled his eyes with a smile on his lips.  He’d ordered steak that night.

 

“I’m up for anything as long as you’re there.”

 

Taking his hand, Tommy led Adam to his car.  When Adam looked at him in question, Tommy held out his hand.  “Number one, we’re not eating on campus.  We’re eating at the best damn burger joint in three counties.  Number two, I’ve been looking for an excuse to drive your sweet ass car.”  

 

“Huh,”  Adam replied, his mouth curled up into a half grin.  “Now it all makes sense.”

 

Tossing his keys to Tommy, Adam began to open the passanger door to get in.  Tommy batted his hand away as he pulled the handle, replacing Adam’s hand with his own and swinging the door open.  It was a sweet gesture and made Adam’s heart swell.  Tommy closed the door and rounded the car and got in the driver’s seat.  As soon as the low purr of the engine began, Tommy looked over at Adam with his hand on the gearshift.

 

“Greasy food, here we come.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

Mr. Damel called shortly after they’d gotten home from there dinner and drive through the country.  He’d informed Adam and Tommy that the barrier concentration had deteriorated to between twenty-two and thirty-four percent, depending on the area of body it had been on.  He explained that he had enough cream currently made for one more full body application.  After that it would take several weeks to get the green light to make more.  The university needed to be fully on board and see the results to put that much money into one person.  If more students had the same anomaly as Tommy had been born with, there wouldn’t be any persuasion needed.  They would have been able to patent it and distribute it to the people who needed it.  Tommy being the only known carrier of this specific genetic makeup, Mr. Damel would need a grant, and a big one.

 

Adam and Tommy thanked Mr. Damel for all the work he’d put in and continued to put in to help Tommy.  If it hadn’t been for Mr. Damel’s support and willingness to help, the ability for Tommy to be free of his isolation, even if only temporarily, would never have happened.  Adam told Mr. Damel that they’d be by the following day to pick up the remaining cream.

 

For the rest of the night, Adam and Tommy sat up talking and watching movies.  They’d talked about everything.  They reminisced about their first meeting and what an asshole Tommy had been.  Tommy admitted that he’d been instantly attracted to Adam the moment he’d seen him, and that he knew in the first second of eye contact that those icy blues were going to be his downfall.  Adam told Tommy that he too had an instant attraction, and that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Tommy that first day of Chemistry.  When he found out later that same day that he was going to be Tommy’s mentor, he’d silently kicked himself in the ass.  Adam admitted that it was because Tommy had been a jerk, but he’d been determined to break through Tommy’s defenses.

 

He didn’t have to break through, however.  The near death experience at the hands of Tommy, had Tommy opening his soul down to it’s vulnerable, wounded center.  No matter how many times Adam said that he’d never blamed Tommy for anything that happened, Tommy still insisted on apologizing every time the subject came up.  Adam would reassure him that if it weren’t for the extreme nature of their relationship, they’d never gotten to where they were, and Tommy would still be walking through his life alone and isolated.

 

The most important thing they talked about, however, was the future.  Where they’d go from here.  When fall semester started, Adam would be a junior.  Tommy technically should still be a sophomore, but with his advanced intelligence, the school let him test out of all the required sophomore classes with the exception of abilities.  Tommy would start the semester being in third year classes.  With the assumption that they would now graduate together, Adam suggested that they think about moving out of the dorms and getting an apartment together.  Adam wanted to start a life together, one that would continue outside the confines of the university, and Tommy agreed.  They snuggled on top of Adam’s bed, happy and content about the future before falling asleep in each others arms.

 

~ ~ ~

 

It was the day before the double date, and Adam had taken Tommy out shopping.  It had been a mutual decision to show Ashni why Adam had been such an absentee friend for so long during the date.  To do so, Adam thought Tommy should buy something out of character.  No black hoodies, no gloves, no...well, black.   It was a happy occasion, and Adam wanted to look the part.  Tommy was hesitant at first.  He’d been covered from head to toe, hiding from the world, for enough time that anything less felt like being exposed.  However, after being reassured by Adam that it would all turn out fine, Tommy agreed happily.

 

“Look at this!  This would look perfect on you,”  Adam said, holding up a simple cotton t-shirt.

 

“It’s white.”

 

Adam leered at Tommy.  “The correct thing to say is it isn’t black.”

 

Tommy rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Adam.  “Why don’t I show you what I dressed like before I became a closed-off hermit.”

 

Taking the shirt from Adam’s grasp, Tommy put it back on the rack and began shuffling through the store.  He’d made Adam promise to wait in the seated area next to the changing rooms.  It wasn’t a surprise per se, but he didn’t want to give anything away.  Adam had such animated reactions to the simplist of things, and Tommy explained that he wanted to see that glimmer in Adam’s eyes when he opened the dressing room curtain

 

He picked up all the items he’d wanted and went into the changing room.  Tommy stipped down to his underwear, pulling the new items of clothing onto his body.  He changed slowly, trying to draw the anticipation out as long as possible.  Adam was fidgeting in the seat by the time   
Tommy’s fingers finally poked out from behind the curtain, gasped the edge of the heavy fabric and pulled it to the side.

 

Adam’s eyes went wide with surprise and quickly morphed into a large ear-to-ear grin.  “Oh my god, Tommy.  Wow!”  

 

Tommy walked out into the room, and did a small turn.  He looked like a totally different person.  He was wearing dark fitted jeans, and a bright blue shirt.  The shirt had a geometric design that started at the chest and curved around the side and came to a stop at the bottom center of the shirt.  The lines were black and gray and complimented the blue.  Over the t’shirt was a shiny black leather jacket.  Around his neck was a chain.  The chain caught Adam’s eye.  He stood up and crossed over to where Tommy had been standing.  He touched the pendant, resting it in his palm as he looked up at Tommy in surprise.

 

It was a small thing really.  To the average person, it would have been just a necklace, but to Adam, it was a symbol of Tommy’s love for him.  At the end of the silver chain was cluster of red and gold flames wrapped around a human heart.  The flames licked up the sides of the heart, only leaving the very top exposed, consuming it with its intense heat.

 

Adam’s eyes gathered moisture at the corners.  He had so many emotions twisting around in his brain, he couldn’t think straight.  Love filled his eyes with tears, excitement caused his nerves to tingle, and lust…Well, lust was trying to cancel out everything else that was going on in his brain.  He looked Tommy up and down, stopping to stare at the pendant in between each trip from Tommy’s head down to his socked feet.

 

Tommy blushed as Adam devoured him with his eyes.  Adam was positive, by the look on Tommy’s face, that Adam himself was smoking.  The fire within him was linked to his emotions.  It normally manifested with extreme anger, but any extreme stress inducing emotion would potentially cause an outburst.  As Adam stalked closer to Tommy, his suspicions were confirmed when he looked at himself in the mirror.

 

“You’re smoking hot,”  Tommy said with a snicker.  There was literally smoke coming from Adam’s skin, and the amount of sweat that beaded almost instantly on Tommy’s face as Adam approached confirmed that his body was radiating abnormal heat.

 

“I can show you hot.”  Adam bore holes into Tommy’s eyes.  The look in Tommy’s eyes as he realized Adam was seriously turned on, only made Adam that much more heated.  Tommy looked like a scared little field mouse, his eyes searching Adam’s for truth.  It made Adam feel that much more predatory, which in turn ignited even more of his fire.

 

When an actual flame danced it’s way up Adam’s left arm, Tommy broke from his trance and cleared his throat.  “Down boy, before you burn this whole damn place to the ground.”

 

Adam looked up into the mirror and stared at the flame.  He knew Tommy was right.  He needed to calm the fuck down before he hurt someone.  He backed away from Tommy, closing his eyes and beginning a rhythmic in and out of the air in his lungs. It didn’t take long for him to calm enough for the heat to dissipate.

  
Looking at Tommy, the intensity still swirling in his eyes, Adam said,  “Tomorrow night.  You’re mine.”


	20. Chapter 20

The double date with Ashni and Cain had been fun and relaxing.  Cain was attentive and chivalrous during the date, standing when Ashni left the table and pushing her chair in for her when she had sat back down.  He’d filled her glass from the pitcher of water that had been left on the table and had picked up the check, much to Ashni’s disapproval. Cain was a great guy, and Adam was happy that Ashni had found someone to match her free spirit and tenacity.  

 

Now, sitting in his car for the drive home, Adam’s nerves were on high alert.  He was horny, more so than he’d ever been before.  He’d been prepared to live his life sexlessly with Tommy, if that was what had to happen.  Now that Adam knew sex was in the cards, he could barely control himself long enough to get Tommy to a bed.  He’d be up for some seriously hot wall sex, or even spreading Tommy out in his car, but technically speaking, Tommy was still a virgin, and Adam wouldn’t cheapen the experience for Tommy, regardless of how much the idea of fucking Tommy on every surface turned Adam on.  Gentle.  Adam could be gentle.  Loving.  Adam was very capable of being loving as well.  Hell, how could he not be loving?  It was Tommy, after all.  However, if the embers in his stomach were any indication, Adam was and would be anything but patient.

 

Adam looked at Tommy in his peripheral, keeping his eyes firmly on the road.  Tommy was looking out the window, a slight smile on his lips.  Adam stared, as much as he could from the corner of his eye.  Tommy was beautiful, maybe more than the day before.  Where Adam had a nervous, horny knot in his belly, Tommy looked calm.  Not a hint of nerves were visible.  Adam risked turning his head from the road for a brief moment to take Tommy in fully.  Tommy turned towards Adam and smiled.

 

“You’re smoking again,”  Tommy said.

 

Adam looked into his rearview mirror.  Sure enough, there was a small amount of white smoke coming from his face.  He looked down at his hands and the same smoke billowed from his skin.  He look a long, deep breath and exhaled slowly.  He had to calm down.  Smoking was one thing, but he couldn’t lose control.  No matter how badly he wanted Tommy, how sensitive his emotions were, he had to keep control.

 

“I’m all right.”

 

Smiling, Tommy answered.  “I know.”  Tommy knew Adam’s backstory.  He knew what could happen if Adam lost control, but he trusted Adam.  From the beginning, even before he’d admitted it, Tommy had trusted Adam.  By the look in his eyes, Adam knew Tommy had no doubts that Adam would stay in control, that Adam would never hurt him.

 

Adam pulled into his parking spot and turned off the car.  He glanced over at Tommy.  Tommy, for his part, was trying to keep eye contact with Adam.  His face was crimson and he averted his eyes from Adam’s intense gaze.  Tommy’s nerves seemed to be finally surfacing.

 

Adam didn’t want to wait any longer.  He opened the door, hopped out of the car, and circled to the passenger side in two seconds flat.  Without the grace he’d used with Tommy on other dates, Adam grabbed Tommy’s hand and yanked him to his feet.  Without a word, he hit the alarm on his keychain and marched Tommy in the direction of the dorm.  He was in no mood to wait for the ancient elevator, so Adam detoured off to the stairs.  Three flights and ten paces landed the two boys at their closed door.  Adam reached into his pocket to retrieve his key.  He fumbled twice before he finally got the key into the lock and the door open.

 

As the door latched into place, Adam turned around.  Eyes ablaze with want, his gaze locked on Tommy in true predator form.  Tommy backed up a step as Adam stalked forward.  One step back, one step forward.  This continued until Tommy’s back hit the wall opposite the door.  When he couldn’t go any farther, Tommy just watched as Adam came closer and closer.  

 

Adam stopped in front of Tommy, lifting his hand and curling his fingers around Tommy’s throat.  Tommy gasped as Adam leaned in towards his ear.  “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”  Adam asked, tightening his fingers slightly and grinding his pelvis into Tommy.  The height difference had Adam’s erection poking at Tommy’s lower belly.

 

Tommy whimpered at the contact.  “I have a pretty good idea.”

 

Dropping his head, Adam replaced his hand at Tommy’s throat with his mouth.  He sucked lightly at Tommy’s pulse point, causing Tommy’s hands to fly up to Adam’s shoulders, his nails digging into the sleeves of Adam’s shirt.  Adam wished he could open his mouth and trail his tongue along Tommy’s neck and the line of his jaw, but it wasn’t safe yet, so he settled for sucking.  He sucked hard on different areas of Tommy’s throat, bringing the blood close enough to the surface of Tommy’s skin to create a sensitive tingle, but not enough to bruise.  Tommy’s fingers gripped and bunched the material at Adam’s shoulders.

 

“Please be gentle with me,”  Tommy said through his whimpers and soft moans.

 

Adam’s lifted away from Tommy’s neck and looked the man in his caramel eyes.  “I can be gentle, but know this, Tommy,”  Adam said with a wicked smirk,  “after I make love to you sweetly and softly, I’m going to fuck you.  Hard.”  Adam’s sultry voice cooed as he he dipped down and ground his hard-as-steel cock against Tommy.  “Fast.”  He ground his hips again.  “Mercilessly.  Until all you can think about is my cock and all the things I can do to you with it and how much you’re going to love each and every one.”

 

Adam ground his dick against Tommy one more time as he watched Tommy’s throat contract and release as he swallowed.  Smirking, Adam leaned in and captured Tommy’s lips with his own.  He had Tommy right where he wanted him - hot, horny, and soon crying out in desperation.

 

He kissed Tommy hard, wasting no time dipping his tongue between Tommy’s soft, full lips.  Kissing Tommy had become addicting already, being the only place on Tommy’s body that Adam was able to taste.  If he had to describe what Tommy tasted like, he could only describe it as sweetness laced with desire.  Licking deep into Tommy’s mouth, Adam was surprised when Tommy bit down lightly on Adam’s tongue and began to suck.  The sensation was intense, and before Adam knew it, he’d picked Tommy up and was moving him towards his bed.  Adam never allowed the kiss to break as he stumbled along with Tommy in his arms.  Once he felt his knees hit the edge of the bed, he tossed Tommy down on the mattress.  

 

Leaving no time to adjust the angle in which Tommy had fallen, Adam lowered himself onto Tommy and picked up the kiss where they’d left off.  Adam lowered his head, lightly brushing his lips against Tommy’s.  They kissed as if there were music filling the space around them.  Adam’s tongue would dip into Tommy’s mouth on an upbeat, and Tommy’s would dance on the downbeat.  The music they were silently making together was better than any symphony.

 

The few times they’d had to break for air, Adam would trace feather light kisses up and down Tommy’s face before moving back to his kiss-swollen lips.  They kissed for what felt like hours before Adam finally pulled away completely.  He leaned up on his elbow and looked down over Tommy.  The sun was lowering in the sky, and the stream of light coming from the window created and illuminated a sparkle in Tommy’s eyes.  Adam thought they resembled the clearest of Topaz.

 

“Are you ready for this?”  Adam asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from Tommy’s forehead with the pad of his thumb.

 

Looking innocent and angelic beneath Adam, Tommy answered, “More than I’ve ever been.”

 

Adam smile was large and uncontrolled.  Tommy was perfect, looked perfect, and he was all for Adam, his heart, his mind, and now his body.  Adam lifted himself off of the bed and pulled Tommy with him.  Standing together, Adam kissed Tommy again lightly and began to disrobe.  First, Adam kicked off his shoes.  His socks were next to go.  Next, he sat Tommy on the edge of the bed and repeated the process.  As each sock was peeled from Tommy’s feet, Adam placed a soft kiss to the tip of each toe.  Adam pulled Tommy back up to his feet.  Once standing, Adam pulled his own t-shirt over his head and discarded it onto the floor.  Next to go was Tommy’s t-shirt.  Adam took his time pulling the fabric over Tommy’s head.  It was slow and seductive.  Tossing the shirt on top of Adam’s discarded one, Adam placed his hands on Tommy’s shoulder and began to trace every curve and every plane of his torso.  His fingers danced over the curve of Tommy’s shoulders, trailing down the pail skin of his arms.  Adam’s tracing outlined every vein and every tendon of Tommy’s long fingers and delicate hands.  Adam trailed back up Tommy’s arms, and his hands began a descent down Tommy’s chest.  His fingers slid down Tommy’s skin, coming to rest at the rough denim of Tommy’s jeans.  He kissed Tommy hard on the lips as Adam popped the button.

 

After releasing the button of Tommy’s jeans, Adam stepped back and began to unfasten his own.  Slowly, he slid the rough fabric down his legs.  His freckled skin pricked with the coolness of the air on his heated skin.  Pulling the denim off his legs, he returned his attention to Tommy, repeating the process.  Next to go was the underwear.  Adam didn’t waste anytime discarding the last of the barriers on Tommy’s body.  When the last of the clothing hit the floor, Adam guided Tommy back to the bed, and laid him down gently.  He stood back up, his eyes taking in Tommy body.  From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, Tommy was pale and smooth.  With skin that hadn’t seen the sun for who knows how long, Tommy looked like a porcelain doll.  Adam wanted to touch every surface over and over again.

 

Lowering himself onto the bed, Adam came to rest over Tommy’s body.  He kissed him again, slowly, passionately before pulling away and looking into those topaz eyes he’d come to love.

“What do you want?”  Adam asked.

 

Tommy stared back into Adam’s eyes, and Adam would’ve sworn Tommy's gaze was touching his very soul.  Tommy hesitated for a moment before answering.   “Can we skip all the foreplay.  I just want to feel you inside me.”

 

Tommy’s words traveled straight to Adam’s groin.  “If that’s what you want.”

 

“I figured we can add that back in later.  I just want this,”  Tommy said as he motioned between the two of them.

 

Adam nodded his understanding and reached over to the desk that sat between the two beds and opened the bottom drawer.  Out of it, he grabbed a bottle of lube and a condom.  He tossed the condom on the pillow next to Tommy’s head before sliding his body down to the end of the mattress.  He pulled Tommy by the knees so he, too, was closer to the edge of the bed.  Lightly, Adam spread Tommy’s knees wide and placed a pillow under his ass.  Opening the bottle of lube, Adam covered three of his fingers with the slick liquid.  Tommy’s eyes widened as he took in the sight.

 

Realizing what he was staring at, Adam tried to calm Tommy’s nerves.  “It’s okay.  I promise I won’t hurt you.”

 

With that, Adam gently placed a finger against Tommy’s tender skin.  Tommy jumped at the contact, but Adam placed his hand on Tommy’s belly and rubbed a reassuring circle around Tommy’s navel.  As soon as Tommy relaxed, Adam pushed slowly, allowing the ring of tight muscle to accept him as opposed to forcing himself in.  Slowly the tension around the entrance to Tommy’s body released, and Adam was able to slide in easily.

 

Back and forth he moved his finger, with each pass Tommy’s body became less tight and anxious, and more calm and pliant.  A few times, when Adam hit a particular spot, Tommy would whine and writhe.  Methodically, Adam worked Tommy open, until he was able to insert all three fingers and move freely without resistance.  By the time he’d pulled his fingers from Tommy’s body, Tommy was sweat covered and begging. “Please, Adam.  Please.  No more torture.  I can’t take it anymore,”  Tommy’d said right before Adam had stopped.

 

Answering Tommy’s pleas, Adam stood up and reached for the condom.  He adjusted Tommy so that his ass was positioned at the end of the bed.  For this first time, Adam wanted Tommy to be comfortable, and at the same time, Adam wanted to be able to see every emotion that played across Tommy’s face.  Once adjusted and sheathed with the thin layer of latex, Adam lined himself up with Tommy’s hole.

 

“Just breathe, okay.  Don’t fight me.”

 

Tommy nodded in agreement, exhaling a long and calming breath.

 

Adam pushed slowly.  As he pushed, he felt Tommy’s body open up and give way as the head of his dick inched it’s way into Tommy.  Inch by agonizing inch, Adam pushed forward slowly and gently.  Tommy was giving no clues that he was in pain, but he’d scrunched his face a few times at the fullness.  Once embedded to the root, Adam stopped and rested fully inside Tommy for a few moments.

 

“Are you okay?”  Adam asked as he ran the tip of his thumb up and down Tommy’s jaw.

 

In response, Tommy turned his head and kissed Adam’s palm.  He chuckled lightly, confusing Adam.  Tommy understood Adam’s facial expressions and answered his unasked question.  “You’re smoking again.”

 

“Shit.”  

 

“It’s okay.  It’s not hurting me.  Sure, I can feel heat, but it’s okay.”

 

“But what if I-”

 

Tommy cut Adam off.  “I trust you.  I know you can control it.”

 

Adam locked eyes with Tommy for a brief moment, before nodding in agreement.  He leaned down, kissed Tommy sweetly on the lips, and pulled halfway out.

 

Thrusting back in, Tommy and Adam both moaned in unison.  Adam's had sex many, many times in the past with a few different partners, but no one ever came close to feeling like Tommy did.  He was warm, tight, and even through the barrier, Adam could tell Tommy was velvety soft.  He thrust again, tilting his hips just slightly to give Tommy the best internal contact.  Tommy yelped as Adam’s tip put pressure on the best of places.  Tommy writhed and wiggled underneath Adam, his cock leaking more and more with every thrust.

 

“Adam, I can’t...I can’t…”  Tommy mumbled in between breathy moans.

 

“Can’t what, baby?”  Adam asked, groaning at the feel of Tommy clenching around him.

 

“Adam, I-”  Tommy barely got out before he began to forcefully come.  Adam hadn’t even touched Tommy’s dick.  Tommy had orgasmed, and orgasmed hard, by anal stimulation alone.  Adam had never seen anything so beautiful.  He thrust harder, making sure to stay in contact with Tommy’s inner trigger.

 

Adam felt his own orgasm building, and had to struggle to keep the pace at lovemaking speed and not fall into fucking.  He’d promised Tommy slow and sweet.  The fucking would come later.  He kept his pace leisurely, but each thrust was backed with a bit of force.  Adam reached down and took Tommy in his hand.  He began to stroke, up and down to the tempo of his own body’s movements.  Tommy whined at the contact.  Adam knew the sensation had to be almost unbearable due to the intensity of Tommy’s orgasm, but he wanted Tommy to ride the wave of pleasure with him all the way to the end.

 

With each thrust, Adam’s orgasm coiled tighter, moving it’s way closer to the surface.  With each thrust, Tommy became louder and more active, trying to thrust his own pelvis up into Adam’s fist.  This pattern continued until Tommy and Adam cried out almost simultaneously in release.  Adam felt as if he were being ripped in two as wave after wave of pleasure released from his body.  Tommy’s own orgasm had his muscles around Adam’s dick contracting, and Adam felt like his orgasm would never end.  

 

It did end, however.  Once the last twitch of orgasm was gone, Adam slumped forward onto Tommy’s body.

 

“Adam,”  Tommy said, squirming, in what appeared to be discomfort.

 

“What?  What’s wrong?”

 

Tommy looked up over Adam’s shoulder.  “Um.  You’re on fire.”

 

Adam threw himself off of Tommy in an instant, and looked across the room, into the mirror.  Sure enough, Adam’s shoulders and upper back were ablaze.  Oddly enough, it was only those two places.  Every time he’d ignited in the past it had been full body.  The only time it had ever been partial was with Tommy.  Maybe his body knew.  Maybe it knew that Tommy was precious to Adam, and protected him from Adam’s inner fire.  Maybe it rode each emotion differently.  Adam wasn’t sure, but he was relieved that it didn’t hurt Tommy.

 

“It’s beautiful, you know.”

 

Adam turned around to face Tommy again.  “You think so?  I’ve never seen it for anything other than death before.”

 

Tommy got off the bed and padded to where Adam stood in the middle of the room.  Adam turned to face Tommy, as Tommy raised his arms and cupped Adam’s face in his hands.  “We both have sad stories, but what’s important is that we found the beauty in the tragedy.  If I’d never have hurt Erik, and you’d never hurt your family, we’d never have found each other.”

 

Adam thought about Tommy’s words.  Though it would always hurt to know that he’d killed his family because of what he was, he knew that without it, he’d never have found the love of his life.  Maybe, just maybe, he’d finally be able to forgive himself, fully and completely, through his love for the man standing in front of him.

 

“You’re my savior, Adam.”

 

“And you’re my redemption,”  Adam answered, leaning forward and pulling Tommy into his arms.

  
  


The End.

 

 


End file.
